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fig1 shows a novel cane foot . fig2 shows a cross - section of the novel cane foot shown in fig1 . load bearing cup - shaped collar 12 is attached to the distal end of shaft 11 . said collar is advantageously made of metal similar to that of the shaft , such as aluminum 6063 or 6061 . in one embodiment , collar 12 is affixed to shaft 11 using a tight press fit or an adhesive , although other means may be used . for example , flange 13 of collar 12 may be made as part of the shaft with a special forming process , or it may be affixed as a ring with no bottom using an adhesive or fasteners such as rivets . the distance from the bottom of flange 13 to the distal end of the shaft is designed to approximately match the inner depth of elastomeric foot 14 . in an advantageous embodiment , this distance is 1 to 1 . 5 inches . cup - shaped elastomeric foot 14 is pressed onto the distal end of collar 12 and shaft 11 such that the friction of said foot 14 provides a suitable attachment . alternately , in an advantageous embodiment , collar 12 includes a bulge 15 to further secure foot 14 . other attachment aids are possible . for example , an attachment aid may be the use of a ridge , knurl , or adhesive . when force is applied to the foot , such as when a person presses his or her weight onto the cane with the cane touching the ground , the top surface of foot 14 bears against the lower surface of flange 13 , compressing the outer walls of foot 14 into a barrel shape , shown in fig3 . this compression uses the cushioning ability of the cylindrical portion of foot 14 , in addition to the usual cushioning attained by the distal end of the shaft striking inner surface 17 of foot 14 . in an advantageous embodiment , inner surface 17 is lower than the distal end of shaft 11 and collar 12 by 1 - 2 mm . this gap allows the distal end of shaft 11 and collar 12 to move axially under normal loads , and to impact surface 17 under heavy loads , so that the entire foot provides cushioning function . this design further allows for varied compression around the cylinder of foot 14 when an angular force is applied , as shown in fig4 . angular forces are very common in the use of canes , walkers and crutches , and it is crucial that the cane foot allow for excellent traction under these situations , so as to prevent the mobility aid from slipping out from under the user . foot 14 is made from an elastomeric or rubber material that is resilient and of medium to soft durometer . this provides improved shock absorption over standard crutch foot material , which is often of a harder durometer for wear - resistance . in an advantageous embodiment , tread 16 is bonded to or co - molded with foot 14 to provide a long - wearing and high - traction surface for the foot where it meets the ground or walking surface . this combination gives the foot both shock - absorbing and durable grip and wear in a simple compact design . in an advantageous embodiment , tread 16 is made from a different color than foot 14 to demonstrate the functionality and to allow the user to observe when the tread is worn . alternatively , tread 16 and foot 14 can be the same color . further , tread 16 could be eliminated if foot 14 is made from a medium to high durometer material with good abrasion resistance , however , while the barrel - like shock - absorbing feature will still exist , the cushioning feel will be reduced . fig5 shows an alternative embodiment , in which metal cup 12 does not include a bulge , and foot 14 is attached by means of friction , using a compressive fit over cup 12 . further , cup 12 in this embodiment uses a flat bottom with large radii , rather than a dome . the cushioning action is still provided by means of the gap between the bottom of cup 12 and the inside surface of foot 14 . the outer perimeter of foot 14 may have different shapes at rest , while still providing the function described . one such embodiment is shown in fig6 , which depicts a truncated inverted cone shape . numerous other shapes are possible as well . the foregoing detailed description is to be understood as being in every respect illustrative and exemplary , but not restrictive , and the scope of the invention disclosed herein is not to be determined from the detailed description , but rather from the claims as interpreted according to the full breadth permitted by the patent laws . it is to be understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are only illustrative of the principles of the present invention and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . those skilled in the art could implement various other feature combinations without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . | 0 |
an embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the drawings . in the following description , the same parts are provided with the same reference characters , and have the same names and functions . therefore , the detailed description thereof will not be repeated . with reference to fig1 , description will be made on an image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention . laser projector 10 includes an optical system 100 , a system controller 150 , an x driver 130 , and a y driver 132 . optical system 100 includes red / blue lasers 110 , a green laser 112 , a polarization beam splitter 114 , a collimator lens 116 , a scanner mirror 120 , a half mirror 124 , a photoreceptor 126 , and a position detector 122 . system controller 150 includes a laser controller 152 , a drive frequency controller 154 , a position detection controller 156 , a memory 158 , and a cpu ( central processing unit ) 160 . laser projector 10 projects an image onto a screen 170 provided in front of optical system 100 . a red laser beam and a blue laser beam delivered by red / blue lasers 110 are reflected by polarization beam splitter 114 , and the reflected lights are directed to collimator lens 116 . a laser beam delivered by green laser 112 passes through polarization beam splitter 114 and is directed to collimator lens 116 . scanner mirror 120 reflects the laser beams of respective colors , which have passed through collimator lens 116 , toward a range predefined as a scan range . scanner mirror 120 is driven by x driver 130 and y driver 132 in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction , respectively . half mirror 124 allows a part of the laser beams reflected by scanner mirror 124 to pass therethrough , and reflects another part of the laser beams . the light reflected by half mirror 124 is received by photoreceptor 126 . in contrast , the part of the laser beams that has passed through half mirror 124 is projected onto screen 170 via a lens ( not shown ). photoreceptor 126 is configured with , for example , a plurality of photodiodes . an output of photoreceptor 126 is inputted to position detector 122 . position detector 122 scans an output obtained from photoreceptor 126 in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction , and delivers data obtained through the scanning to system controller 150 . in system controller 150 , cpu 160 is configured to control laser controller 152 and drive frequency controller 154 based on an output from position detection controller 156 . furthermore , cpu 160 stores in memory 158 positional information of scanner mirror 120 , which has been calculated based on the output from position detection controller 156 . the positional information includes , for example , a scan angle , a signal value outputted for providing the scan angle ( e . g . a voltage value ), and the like . memory 158 is implemented as a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory in a certain aspect , or as a volatile memory in another aspect . laser controller 152 is configured to control red / blue lasers 10 and green laser 112 based on an output from cpu 160 and an output from a laser power detector 118 . further , laser controller 152 can deliver to cpu 160 an output obtained from laser power detector 118 . drive frequency controller 154 is configured to control x driver 130 and y driver 132 based on an output from cpu 160 . more specifically , drive frequency band controller 154 delivers to x driver 130 a signal having a frequency that defines drive in a horizontal direction such that scanner mirror 120 is driven in the horizontal direction ( hereinafter also referred to as a “ horizontal drive signal ”), in response to a command from cpu 160 . furthermore , drive frequency controller 154 delivers to y driver 132 a signal having a frequency that defines drive in a vertical direction such that scanner mirror 120 is driven in the vertical direction ( hereinafter also referred to as a “ vertical drive signal ”), in response to a command from cpu 160 . based on the horizontal drive signal , x driver 130 drives scanner mirror 120 in the horizontal direction . based on the vertical drive signal , y driver 132 drives scanner mirror 120 in the vertical direction . based on an output from position detector 122 , position detection controller 156 a / d ( analog to digital )- converts positional information of scanner mirror 120 ( scan range ), which is defined by the output of photoreceptor 126 , and delivers the converted digital data to cpu 160 . based on the digital data , cpu 160 detects the position of scanner mirror 120 , and in accordance with the detection result , controls laser controller 152 or drive frequency controller 154 . a vertical drive frequency and a horizontal drive frequency are predefined based on the size of scanner mirror 120 , the scan direction , and drive characteristics of x driver 130 or y driver 132 . in a certain aspect , data that provides the vertical drive frequency and data that provides the horizontal drive frequency are stored in advance in memory 158 . in the present embodiment , a part or a whole of system controller 150 may also be implemented by a combination of hardware such as circuit elements . in another aspect , system controller 150 may also be implemented as a configuration that controls an operation of the hardware by software , by means of cpu 160 executing a program stored in memory 158 . with reference to fig2 , description will be made on a configuration of photoreceptor 126 that configures optical system 100 according to the present embodiment . fig2 is a diagram that schematically represents a light - receiving region in photoreceptor 126 . photoreceptor 126 is configured with a plurality of light - receiving elements . photoreceptor 126 includes a region for receiving a laser beam for projecting an image , and other regions . more specifically , photoreceptor 126 includes a peripheral region 200 , which differs from a region for projecting an image , and regions 210 , 220 , 230 , and 240 for projecting an image . portions of a laser beam reflected by scanner mirror 120 which correspond to light - receiving regions 210 , 220 , 230 , and 240 are projected onto screen 170 as an image . peripheral region 200 is defined as a region that does not relate to image projection , and is intended for switching a scan direction of scanner mirror 120 . in photoreceptor 126 , a boundary between light - receiving regions 210 , 240 and light - receiving regions 220 , 230 is orthogonal to a horizontal scan direction of scanner mirror 120 . further , a boundary between light - receiving regions 210 , 220 and light - receiving regions 230 , 240 is defined to be parallel with a horizontal direction of scanner mirror 120 . in the example shown in fig2 , the light - receiving region is defined as four regions 210 , 220 , 230 , and 240 . however , the number of light - receiving regions is not limited to the one specified by fig2 . for example , three or more light - receiving regions may be defined in a horizontal direction , or three or more light - receiving regions may be defined in a vertical direction . with reference to fig3 , description will be made on a configuration of cpu 160 that implements laser projector 10 according to the present embodiment . fig3 is a block diagram that represents a configuration of functions implemented by cpu 160 . cpu 160 includes a laser light emission control unit 310 , a detection unit 320 , and a timing correction unit 330 . these functions are implemented by cpu 160 executing an executable program stored in memory 158 . laser light emission control unit 310 controls light emission and shut off of each of red / blue lasers 110 and green laser 112 . in another aspect , laser light emission control unit 310 is configured to shut off a light - emitting first light source ( e . g . a laser beam source of any color in red / blue lasers 110 , or green laser 112 ) when sensing that a laser beam emitted from the first light source is received in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 ( hereinafter also referred to as a “ first light - receiving region ”). in this case , laser light emission control unit 310 allows the first light source to emit light again at an elapse of predetermined time from the shut off of the first light source . the predetermined time is defined as one piece of design information on laser projector 10 . this time is defined in accordance with a scan speed of scanner mirror 120 and a size of the light - receiving region in photoreceptor 126 . in another aspect , when laser light emission control unit 310 senses that a laser beam emitted from a light - emitting second light source ( e . g . a laser beam source different from a laser beam source corresponding to the above - described first light source ) is received in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 , laser light emission control unit 310 terminates the light emission caused by the second light source . furthermore , laser light emission control unit 310 allows the second light source to emit light again at an elapse of predetermined time from the shut off of the second light source . detection unit 320 detects a deviation between an optic axis of the first light source and an optic axis of the second light source , based on a timing at which a laser beam emitted from the first light source is received in light - receiving regions 220 , 230 ( hereinafter also referred to as a “ second light - receiving region ”), and a timing at which a laser beam emitted from the second light source is received in the second light - receiving region . timing correction unit 330 corrects the light emission timing of a laser beam source corresponding to the second light source , based on the “ deviation ” detected by detection unit 320 . in another aspect , detection unit 320 includes a first calculation unit , a second calculation unit , and a third calculation unit . the first calculation unit calculates time that starts at a timing when reception of the laser beam emitted from a laser beam source serving as the first light source is sensed in the first light - receiving region ( i . e . light - receiving regions 210 , 240 ) and ends at a timing when the reception of the laser beam emitted from that laser beam source is sensed in the second light - receiving region ( i . e . light - receiving regions 220 , 230 ) ( hereinafter also referred to as “ first time ”). the second calculation unit calculates time that starts when the laser beam emitted from the first light source is received in the first light - receiving region and ends when the laser beam emitted from another laser beam source corresponding to the “ second light source ” is received in the second light - receiving region ( hereinafter also referred to as “ second time ”). for example , the second time is calculated as time between the timing at which reception of a laser beam of one color is sensed in one light - receiving region and the timing at which reception of a laser beam of another color is sensed in another light - receiving region . the third calculation unit calculates a difference between the first time and the second time . timing correction unit 330 corrects the light emission timing of a laser beam source corresponding to the second light source , based on the difference calculated by the third calculation unit . in an aspect , the scan direction includes a direction along which scanner mirror 120 is driven horizontally . in another aspect , the scan direction includes a direction along which scanner mirror 120 is driven vertically . in another aspect , detection unit 320 detects the above - described deviation when laser projector 10 is started up . in still another aspect , detection unit 320 may also detect the above - described deviation in response to an input of a correction instruction to laser projector 10 . this input can be accepted , for example , via a switch provided at a housing of laser projector 10 . in a further aspect , memory 158 stores data representing the relation between a scan angle of scanner mirror 120 and a scan speed predetermined in accordance with the relevant scan angle . timing correction unit 330 corrects the “ deviation ” detected by detection unit 320 , based on the data . with reference to fig4 , description will be made on a control structure of laser projector 10 according to the present embodiment . fig4 is a flowchart that represents a part of a series of operations executed by cpu 160 provided at laser projector 10 . in step s 410 , cpu 160 delivers a command to laser controller 152 to thereby command a laser beam source of any one color , out of the laser beam sources of three colors , to emit a laser beam . the laser beam source of any one color is used as a reference for detecting a deviation of an optic axis . in step s 420 , when cpu 160 senses that the laser beam is received in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 in photoreceptor 126 , based on an output from position detection controller 156 , cpu 160 causes the relevant laser to be shut off . in step s 430 , cpu 160 causes a laser of a color , which is to be detected as to the presence or absence of a deviation of an optic axis , to be applied until the reception thereof is sensed in light - receiving regions 220 , 230 . the laser beam source lit at this time differs from the laser beam source lit in step s 410 . in step s 440 , cpu 160 keeps time that starts when light reception is sensed in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 and ends when light reception is sensed in light - receiving regions 220 , 230 . in step s 450 , cpu 160 determines whether or not the lasers of all colors , namely , red , blue and green , have been lit and shut off . for example , whenever cpu 160 delivers to laser controller 152 a command to allow a laser of any color to be emitted , cpu 160 sets a flag indicating that a laser beam of the relevant color has been lit . cpu 160 determines whether or not the lasers of all colors have been lit and shut off , based on a set state of the flags . if cpu 160 determines that the lasers of all colors have been lit and shut off ( yes in step s 450 ), cpu 160 switches the control to step s 460 . if not so ( no in step s 450 ), cpu 160 returns the control to step s 420 , and allows a laser beam source of another color to be lit and shut off . in step s 460 , cpu 160 calculates a relative time difference as to each color with respect to the reference color . in step s 470 , cpu 160 corrects the light emission timing of the laser beam source of each color , based on the time calculated in step s 460 . more specifically , cpu 160 delivers to drive frequency controller 154 a command in which a light emission timing is corrected . drive frequency controller 154 drives x driver 130 or y driver 132 based on the command in which the light emission timing is corrected . with reference to fig5 , description will be made on a deviation of an optic axis of a laser beam source in laser projector 10 in a horizontal direction . fig5 is a diagram that represents the relation between a timing of each of light emission and light - up of a laser of each color and an output of photoreceptor 126 . as an example , description will be made on the case that a red laser beam source in red / blue lasers 110 is used as a reference laser beam source . however , a laser beam of another color may also be used . in fig5 , with reference to graph ( a ), a red laser beam source in red / blue lasers 110 performs irradiation based on a command from laser controller 152 . specifically , the red laser beam source is lit at time point t ( 0 ) ( a sign of “ r ”). when the light reflected from half mirror 124 reaches the first light - receiving region ( light - receiving regions 210 , 240 ) by the drive of scanner mirror 120 in a horizontal direction , the laser beam from the red laser beam source is received in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 at time point t ( 1 ) ( see timing chart a + d ). at time point t ( 2 ), the red laser beam source is shut off based on a command from laser controller 152 . as a result , no laser beam is received in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 after time point t ( 2 ) ( see timing chart a + d ). subsequently , at time point t ( 3 ), the red laser beam source is lit again based on a command from laser controller 152 . an output from the first light - receiving region appears again ( see timing chart a + d ). note that time from time point t ( 2 ) to time point t ( 3 ) is predefined as design information , based on a width of the first light - receiving region and a scan speed of scanner mirror 120 . when scanner mirror 120 scans in a horizontal direction while the red laser beam source is being lit , the sensing of light reception in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 continues from time point t ( 3 ) to time point t ( 4 ). at time point t ( 4 ), an output of the laser beam in photoreceptor 126 is sensed as light reception in light - receiving regions 220 , 230 ( see timing chart b + c ). at time point t ( 5 ), the red laser beam source is shut off in accordance with a command from laser controller 152 . as a result , the output from light - receiving regions 220 , 230 also disappears ( see timing chart b + c ). cpu 160 calculates a difference between the timing ( time point t ( 1 )) at which light reception in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 is sensed , and the timing ( time point t ( 4 )) at which reception of the laser beam in light - receiving regions 220 , 230 is sensed , as reference time t hr . reference time t hr is used for comparison with corresponding time of a laser beam of another color . in fig5 , with reference to graph ( b ), after the red laser beam source selected as a reference laser beam source is lit and shut off , similar processing is executed on the laser beam sources of other colors . for example , processing for detecting a deviation of an optic axis of green laser 112 is initiated . more specifically , laser controller 152 initially provides a command to the red laser beam source and allows it to be lit at time point t ( 10 ) and shut off at time point t ( 12 ). in this case , an output from light - receiving regions 210 , 240 continues from time point t ( 11 ) to time point t ( 12 ) ( timing chart a + d ). at time point t ( 13 ), laser controller 152 provides a command to green laser 112 and allows it to be lit . the light - up of green laser 112 continues from time point t ( 13 ) to time point t ( 15 ). reception of the green laser beam in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 is sensed from time point t ( 13 ). when scanner mirror 120 is kept driven in a horizontal direction , an output indicating the reception of the laser beam from green laser 112 is switched at time point t ( 14 ) from light - receiving regions 210 , 240 ( timing chart a + d ) to light - receiving regions 220 , 230 ( timing chart b + c ). cpu 160 calculates time that starts at the light emission timing ( time point t ( 10 )) of the reference laser beam source ( the red laser beam source ) and ends at time point t ( 14 ), as determination target time t hg . cpu 160 compares determination target time t hg with reference time t hr , and determines the presence or absence of the difference therebetween . in fig5 , with reference to graph ( c ), laser controller 152 executes processing for detecting a deviation of an optic axis of a laser beam source of still another color . for example , laser controller 152 provides a command to a blue laser beam source in red / blue lasers 110 . more specifically , laser controller 152 allows the red laser beam source to be lit at time point t ( 20 ). when scanner mirror 120 is kept driven in a horizontal direction , an output indicating the reception of the red laser beam in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 appears at time point t ( 21 ) ( timing chart a + d ). subsequently , at time point t ( 22 ), laser controller 152 allows the red laser beam source to be shut off . the output from light - receiving regions 210 , 240 disappears ( see timing chart a + d ). at time point t ( 23 ), laser controller 152 allows the blue laser beam source in red / blue lasers 110 to be lit . the light - up of the blue laser beam source continues until time point t ( 25 ). the reception of the blue laser beam in light - receiving regions 210 , 240 continues , for example , from time point t ( 23 ) to time point t ( 24 ). after time point t ( 24 ), the reception of the blue laser beam is sensed as an output from the second light - receiving region . cpu 160 calculates a difference between time point t ( 21 ) and time point t ( 24 ) as determination target time t hb . cpu 160 compares the calculated determination target time t hb with reference time t hr , and determines the presence or absence of a deviation of an optic axis of the blue laser beam source . with reference to fig6 , description will be made on detection of the presence or absence of a deviation of an optic axis in a vertical direction in optical system 100 . fig6 is a diagram that represents the relation between drive of scanner mirror 120 in a vertical direction and an output based on irradiation by a green laser 112 and red / blue lasers 110 . the red laser beam source in red / blue lasers 110 is used as a reference . in fig6 , with reference to graph ( a ), the drive of scanner mirror 120 is started at time point t ( 30 ) based on a command from y driver 132 , and scanner mirror 120 is vertically driven until time point t ( 35 ). scanner mirror 120 is returned to the initial position between time point t ( 35 ) and time point t ( 36 ). with reference to graph ( b ), the red laser beam source is lit based on a command from laser controller 152 at time point t ( 31 ). the output of the red laser beam continues from time point t ( 31 ) to time point t ( 34 ). the light reflected from half mirror 124 is directed to light - receiving regions 210 , 220 , and at time point t ( 32 ), directed to light - receiving regions 230 , 240 ( second light - receiving region ). accordingly , the output from light - receiving regions 230 , 240 starts at time point t ( 32 ). at time point t ( 33 ), when the light reflected from half mirror 124 deviates from light - receiving regions 230 , 240 , the output in light - receiving regions 230 , 240 is terminated ( see timing chart c + d ). subsequently , at time point t ( 34 ), the red laser beam source terminates irradiation of the laser beam based on a command from laser controller 152 . cpu 160 calculates reference time t vr from time point t ( 31 ) to time point t ( 32 ), as reference time . reference time t vr is used for determining the presence or absence of a deviation of an optic axis of the laser beam of another color . with reference to graph ( c ), at time point t ( 41 ), laser controller 152 allows green laser 112 to be lit ( see ld irradiation ( g )). when scanner mirror 120 is driven in a vertical direction , the light reception in light - receiving regions 230 , 240 is sensed at time point t ( 42 ). the light reception in light - receiving regions 230 , 240 continues from time point t ( 42 ) to time point t ( 43 ). at time point t ( 44 ), laser controller 152 terminates the light - up caused by green laser 112 . cpu 160 calculates a difference between time point t ( 41 ) and time point t ( 42 ) as determination target time t vg . with reference to graph ( d ), at time point t ( 51 ), laser controller 152 allows the blue laser beam source in red / blue lasers 110 to be lit ( see ld irradiation ( b )). when scanner mirror 120 is driven in a vertical direction , the light reception in light - receiving regions 230 , 240 is sensed at time point t ( 52 ). the light reception in light - receiving regions 230 , 240 continues from time point t ( 52 ) to time point t ( 53 ). at time point t ( 54 ), laser controller 152 terminates the light - up caused by the blue laser beam source . cpu 160 calculates a difference between time point t ( 51 ) and time point t ( 52 ) as determination target time t vb . with reference to fig7 , description will be made on the correction to irradiation timings of green laser 112 and red / blue lasers 110 . in fig7 , timing chart ( a ) represents a timing at which laser controller 152 provides a command to emit light to a light source of any of the colors selected as a reference color . specifically , the red laser beam source is selected as a reference laser beam source . a laser beam source of another color may also be selected . the red laser beam source is applied from time point t ( 60 ) to time point t ( 61 ), from time point t ( 62 ) to time point ( 63 ), from time point t ( 64 ) to time point t ( 65 ), and from time point t ( 66 ) to time point t ( 67 ), so as to determine the presence or absence of a deviation of an optic axis . with reference to timing chart ( b ), the red laser beam is lit based on the command from laser controller 152 , at the same interval as the interval between the starts of irradiation defined in timing chart ( a ). with reference to timing chart ( c ), green laser 112 is lit in accordance with a corrected timing calculated based on the examples shown in fig5 and 6 . specifically , green laser 112 is lit at time point t ( 71 ). time point t ( 71 ) is delayed with respect to time point t ( 60 ) at which the red laser is lit , by corrected time ( t vg − t vr )+( t hg − t hr ). with reference to timing chart ( d ), the blue laser source in red / blue lasers 110 is lit in accordance with the corrected timing calculated based on the examples shown in fig5 and 6 . specifically , the blue laser beam source is lit at time point t ( 81 ). time point t ( 81 ) is advanced with respect to time point t ( 60 ) at which the red laser is lit , by corrected time ( t vb − t vr )+( t hb − t hr ). as described above , laser projector 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention detects the presence or absence of a deviation of an optic axis of a light source of each of the colors of r , g and b at start - up , and based on the detection results , corrects the emission timing of a laser beam to be emitted from the light source in which a deviation is detected . before projecting an image , laser projector 10 drives scanner mirror 120 in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction , while applying a laser beam of a single specific color . the laser beam is received in the two light - receiving regions in photoreceptor 126 , the two light - receiving regions being defined by a boundary orthogonal to the moving direction of scanner mirror 120 . laser projector 10 calculates each output time from each of the light - receiving regions , each output time being based on the emission of the laser beam of the single specific color . subsequently , laser projector 10 applies laser beams of other colors one by one , and drives scanner mirror 120 in the same direction . laser projector 10 calculates each output time from each of the light - receiving regions , each output time being based on the emission of the laser beam of the single color , as to each of the colors . laser projector 10 further calculates a difference between the time calculated as to the single specific color and the time calculated as to one of the other colors , so as to check whether or not there is a difference . the existence of the difference means that the emission timing of that color deviates , so that laser projector 10 corrects the deviation . for example , laser projector 10 calculates the time to be corrected , based on the time calculated as a difference and a movement speed of scanner mirror 120 . for example , if the interval between when the reception in one light - receiving region is sensed and when the reception in another light - receiving region is sensed , as to the color to be compared , is shorter than the corresponding interval as to the specific color serving as a reference , laser projector 10 makes a correction to delay the irradiation timing of the laser beam . in contrast , if the interval between when the reception in one light - receiving region is sensed and when the reception in another light - receiving region is sensed , as to the color to be compared , is longer than the corresponding interval as to the specific color serving as a reference , laser projector 10 makes a correction to advance the irradiation timing of the laser beam . by doing so , the optic axes of respective laser beam sources coincide with one another when an image is projected , so that each of the colors is accurately reproduced . consequently , adjustment of the optic axes can readily be achieved without an increase in number of components . although the timing of correction is set at the start - up of laser projector 10 , the timing is not limited thereto . for example , the switch that accepts an instruction of adjustment is provided at a housing of laser projector 10 , and a deviation of the optic axes may be corrected in response to a manipulation on the relevant switch . alternatively , the correction may also be made at a timing at which the data to be projected is inputted to laser projector 10 . with reference to fig8 a and fig8 b , description will be made on a modification of the present embodiment . scanner mirror 120 has a scan speed that varies depending on a scan angle , and hence laser projector 10 according to the present modification may have a configuration in which a lookup table of a scan speed of scanner mirror 120 is included and cpu 160 corrects the detected time difference by referring to the table . it is noted that laser projector 10 according to the present modification has a hardware configuration similar to that of laser projector 10 shown in fig1 , and has the same functions . accordingly , the detailed description of the hardware configuration is not repeated . fig8 a is a diagram that shows a pattern of the drive of scanner mirror 120 in a horizontal direction . fig8 b is a diagram that shows the relation between a scan angle and a scan speed at each location shown in fig8 a . more specifically , when scanner mirror 120 is positioned at opposite ends of the scan range in the horizontal direction ( specifically , at locations 810 , 820 , and 830 ), the scan speed is 0 . in contrast , in proximity to the center of photoreceptor 126 in the horizontal direction , the scan speed of scanner mirror 120 has local maximum . therefore , the timing at which each of the laser beams is lit for correcting a deviation of the optic axes may be calculated based on the relation between the scan angle and the scan speed as shown in fig8 b ( e . g . the relation expressed as a sine curve ). such a relation is retained in memory 158 , for example , as a mapped data table or a function . although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail , it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation , the scope of the present invention being interpreted by the terms of the appended claims . | 7 |
referring to the drawings in particular , the saw cable guide 1 shown in fig1 and 2 is used in conjunction with a cable saw ( not shown ), which is used to cut workpieces , e . g ., block - shaped bodies consisting of concrete , brickwork or other materials . such a cable saw has been known from , e . g ., wo95 / 18692 . the saw cable guide 1 shown is used to deflect and guide the saw cable 19 at the workpiece ( not shown ). it is usually present for this purpose in duplicate and may be arranged and fastened at or in the vicinity of the workpiece in a suitable manner . the saw cable guide 1 has a stand 2 , which may have any suitable design . in the embodiment shown , it has a foot plate 3 and a column 4 sticking out therefrom vertically . a plurality of leveling pins , with which the stand 2 can be aligned in the desired manner in relation to the workpiece and / or the foundation , may be present on the foot plate 3 . the fixing is performed by means of a dowel screw or in any other suitable manner . the saw cable guide 1 also has two cable guide rollers 5 , 9 , which are mounted on a respective pivot housing 7 , 11 via an oblique extension arm 20 each . the cable guide rollers 5 , 9 are mounted with their axes freely rotatably on their extension arms 20 , and the extension arms 20 are in turn mounted freely rotatably by 360 ° on the pivot housings 7 , 11 . via suitable bent brackets 6 , the pivot housings 7 , 11 are detachably or rigidly fastened to a common sleeve 16 , which is guided slidingly vertically adjustably and lockably on the column 4 . as an alternative , the pivot housings 7 , 11 may also be guided vertically adjustably independently from one another on sleeves or the like of their own . the sleeve 16 with the cable guide rollers 5 , 9 can be fixed at the desired height by means of a locking means 17 . the pivot housings 7 , 11 permit the rotation of the cable guide rollers 5 , 9 around one pivot axis 8 , 12 each . these pivot axes 8 , 12 are preferably arranged in a common plane and preferably in parallel to the foot plate 3 . furthermore , they are arranged at a 90 ° angle in relation to one another . as is shown in fig2 the saw cable is led around the column 4 of the stand 2 . the brackets 6 are rigidly fastened to the sleeve 16 in the exemplary embodiment shown . as a result , the pivot axes 8 , 12 form a fixed angle preferably equaling 90 ° with one another . as an alternative , the brackets 6 may also be mounted adjustably on the sleeve 16 with a suitable locking means , so that the pivot axes 8 , 12 can also be set and fixed at another angle in relation to one another . in the preferred embodiment , a deflecting roller 13 is mounted freely rotatably around the axis of the column on the stand 2 and especially on the column 4 . the deflecting roller 13 may also be arranged with its bearing 14 on the sleeve 16 . as an alternative , the deflecting roller 13 may be vertically adjustable and lockable in itself . it is preferably located with its cable guide surface 15 in the same plane as the pivot axes 8 , 12 , so that the saw cable 19 runs between the cable guide rollers 5 , 9 via the deflecting roller 13 in the same plane and is led around the stand 2 at the desired angle . the cable guide surface 15 consists of an elastic material , preferably rubber , and imparts a forced twist to the saw cable 19 due to lateral contact . as is illustrated in fig1 the cable guide surface 15 is provided for this purpose with an oblique profiling 21 , which is arranged , e . g ., at the lower end of the guide surface . the forced twist reduces the circumferential wear of the saw cable 19 and makes it more uniform . in addition , the noise caused by the running of the cable is reduced . the cable guide surface 15 may be designed as a smooth surface or with grooves extending at right angles or obliquely not shown . the saw cable 19 is additionally guided by the deflecting roller 13 between the cable guide rollers 5 , 9 during use , as a result of which vibrations between the workpiece and the saw cable guide 1 or the cable saw ( not shown ) are reduced . furthermore , the pivot housings 7 , 11 may be designed as hollow housings , in which case the saw cable 19 is led through the pivot housings 7 , 11 and is flush with the pivot axes 8 , 12 . the guiding through the hollow pivot housings 7 , 11 is used for safety as a cable catch in the case of possible cable breaks and additionally prevents the cable from snapping backward . the oblique extension arms 20 and the distance between the rollers and the pivot housings 7 , 11 are selected to be such that the saw cable 19 guided along the pivoting axes 8 , 12 runs up onto the cable guide rollers 5 , 9 tangentially . various modifications of the embodiment shown are possible . on the one hand , another type of deflecting means may be present between the cable guide rollers arranged at an angle in relation to one another instead of the deflecting roller 13 . likewise , the mounting of the cable guide rollers 5 , 9 may vary as well . the deflecting roller 13 may have an additional vertical adjustment in relation to the sleeve 16 and the cable guide rollers 5 , 9 . an oblique position of the deflecting roller 13 is optionally also possible . while specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles . | 1 |
fig1 is a schematic illustrating a system for improving efficient use of cinema resources . fig1 shows a plurality of users , user 1 through user n . each user can communicate selections and otherwise interact via associated devices 101 - 103 . in one embodiment the devices 101 - 103 represent computing systems which are available to users . fig1 also shows plurality of social networking websites sn 1 through sn 3 . each of the social networking systems includes a different computing system illustrated as computing systems 501 - 503 . fig1 also shows plurality specialty websites s 1 - s 3 each including a computing system illustrated as computing systems 301 - 303 . the specialty websites are dedicated to public interaction concerning content which may be selected by users . one specialty website may be dedicated to western movies , others dedicated to different sports , etc . finally , fig1 also shows a plurality of exhibitors web sites e 1 - e n with computing systems 401 - 403 . the exhibitor websites e 1 - e n provide a communications path to / from the exhibitor . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , users may employ message based communication devices ( computer systems , whether desk - top , laptop , handheld or otherwise ) to send and receive information and make selections . in other embodiments the users may use telephone based devices to send and receive ( audible ) information for selection purposes . the exhibitors associated with computing systems 401 - 403 operate one or more cinemas . some exhibitors have cinemas which may be restricted geographically to one or a limited number of neighborhoods , towns , cities or zip codes while other exhibitors have cinemas which are more widely distributed . fig1 also shows on - demand servicer 500 in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention . the functions and apparatus of the on - demand servicer 500 will be described in detail . as is the case with some of the other devices shown in fig1 , the on - demand servicer 500 also has a dedicated website available to users for performing the functions set forth later in this description . each of the devices shown in fig1 is interconnected by a network 600 . the network 600 may be wired , wireless or a combination of wired and wireless . in one embodiment the network 600 may comprise or include the internet . in other embodiments the network 600 may be a local area network or a combination of local area networks interconnected by a wide area network . in addition the network 600 may include the public switched telephone network ( pstn ) allowing users to use telephone based devices for making selections . as will be apparent to those skilled in the art a user , such as user 1 , using the network 600 and computing system 101 , can access the on - demand servicer website as well as any of the social networking websites , any of the specialty websites or any of the available exhibitor websites . in general the computing systems referred to will include processor ( s ), memory , 1 / 0 devices and related interfaces . this application does not describe the details of computing systems which are identified as computing systems 101 - 103 , 301 - 303 , 401 - 403 , 501 - 503 and the on - demand servicer 500 . those skilled in the art are well acquainted with computing systems capable of performing the required functions . while the user systems 101 - 103 could be hard wired to the network 600 , in some embodiments one or more of the user systems 101 - 103 could be connected to the network 600 via wireless access . the same is true of other computing systems of fig1 . the user systems 101 - 103 which are message based can be selected from a wide variety of devices including pcs or apple based desk top , portable or laptop . message based systems also include smart phones and tablets ( apple , android , rim or webos software ) operating with specialized apps or web interfaces . as noted the user systems may also be telephone based so long as the cooperating equipment ( on demand servicer ) provided access via an interactive voice response platform allowing conventional wired or wireless telephones to respond to interactive , menu based voice prompts or voice recognition interfaces . one of the functions of the on - demand servicer 500 is making selection information available the user systems 101 - 103 . the selection information includes available program content . as has been noted that available program content maybe pre - recorded and / or live . the content is identified in a meaningful way to the user such as by movie title , sporting event type and participants etc . the content made available to the users can be presented in many different ways . for message type systems the content can be presented alphabetically by title , by genre , by relation to past selections of the user , etc . on - demand servicer 500 will also make available to the user systems 101 - 103 theatre and time slot information . theatre information identifies the cinema in which the program content is to be displayed in the future . the theatre may be identified in any recognizable way , by number , name , street address , city , town , city / town and state , zip code etc . for each theatre or cinema which is identified as a potential display location , one more time slots is also identified . the time slot represents the period of time , in the future , during which the potential program material would be displayed at the theatre . while there are many ways to identify a time slot , one way to identify a time slot is by month and day ( feb . 3 ). another way is by month day and year ( feb . 3 , 2011 ). and still another way to identify a time slot is by month day and time of day ( feb . 3 , 12 : 15 pm ). telephone based user devices interact with an on demand servicer voice response platform to provide the user with voice prompts describing the available content , venue and temporal choices . voice recognition equipment operated by the on demand servicer is used to create digital data corresponding to the user &# 39 ; s audible responses to the available content , venue and temporal choices . that digital data is then stored in a database in the same way that a user &# 39 ; s message based choices lead to digital data which may be stored in the same database . a user intending to make use of the services provided by the on - demand servicer 500 will arrange his computing system 101 to access the on - demand servicer website . one of the features of the on - demand servicer website will allow the user to select a particular program content and a particular theatre / timeslot . fig2 a illustrates some of the components of the on - demand servicer 500 . as shown in fig2 a the on - demand servicer 500 , in accordance with one embodiment , includes four databases , a content selection database 35 , a theatre / timeslot database 45 , an available content database 40 and a scheduled database 50 . each of the databases are coupled to processor 55 which in tum is connected to the network 600 . before describing how the data in the databases is manipulated reference is made to fig2 b to illustrate one of the routines which is performed by the processor 55 on access by user . as shown in fig2 b a user may login ( 201 ). in some embodiments of the invention the user will have registered prior to execution of the procedure of fig2 b . in that case the user login will merely require the user to input some combination of data to identify the user and related registration records . in other embodiments the user need not be registered before accessing servicer 500 and initiating the procedure of fig2 b . in that event the user login ( 201 ) may require the input of additional information from the user for identification purposes such as name , address , credit information etc . regardless of the particular requirements of the login procedure ( 201 ), once the login procedure has been completed the user is presented with a choice 202 , whether or not a content selection process will be performed . in other words , does user intend to make some content selection ? if not , processing follows the “ no ” path from function 202 to perform other procedures ( not illustrated ). in the event the user indicates that content selection is desired then processing moves to step 203 where available content and related parameters are made accessible or displayed to the user . the available content and related parameters are accessed from the databases 40 and 45 . for example , the user may be presented with potential available content selections from the database 40 . there are many ways in which available content may be presented to the user . prior content choices of the user may be consulted to identify presently available content which is most nearly like the user &# 39 ; s prior choices . alternatively , choices can be presented to the user randomly , alphabetically or by genre ; user selected genre , alphabetically presented or randomly presented genre choices . there are still other ways of selecting content for presentation to the user which will occur to those skilled in the art . all of these techniques fall within the scope of the invention . when a user makes a selection from the available content database 40 , then the user is presented with the choice of theatre and timeslot . again the theatres presented to the user for selection may be driven by the knowledge of the user &# 39 ; s address or the choices may be presented randomly , or in some other fashion . typically , for each theatre choice , there will be a choice of plural time slots . on the other hand in some cases there will be only a single timeslot for a given theatre , in other cases there will be only a single theatre for a given content . after the user has made selections for all required parameters so that there is a fixed choice for all three items ( content , theatre , timeslot ) step 204 will recognize that the required selections have been made . as will be described the user selection will be recorded in the content selection database 35 . before recording , however , function 205 compares the current user selections with selections already recorded in the content selection database 35 to determine if the current user selections are identically matched by a selection already in the content selection database 35 . either the current selection is matched or it is not . in the case the current selection is not matched then the “ no ” path is followed and the step 207 is executed to create a new record in the content selection database 35 reflecting the user &# 39 ; s current selection . alternatively , if the current selection is matched in the content selection database 35 then the yes path is followed and information concerning the current user selection will be added to the database 35 . in one embodiment the user &# 39 ; s identification is added to the record in the database 35 which corresponds to the user &# 39 ; s current selections . fig2 c is an example of the organization of the contents of the content selection database 35 in accordance with one embodiment . fig2 c shows the database 35 comprises a series of records , record number 1 , record number 2 and so on to record n . as shown in fig2 c each record in the content selection database includes a number of components . one component is content data 28 which represents the user &# 39 ; s selection from available content database 40 . another component is theatre data 29 , selected from the theatre / timeslot database 45 . another component is temporal data 30 , selected from timeslot information of the theatre / timeslot database 45 . in addition , each record includes component 31 recording at least one user id ( identifying a user having made the related selection ). as will be described , when an additional , identical selection is made by a new user ( identified in step 205 ), the new user &# 39 ; s id is added to the record . thus a record may include the id of many users , i . e ., precisely those users who in the past have made the related selections . in another embodiment of the content selection database , each record will include four components , the content data 28 selected by a user , the theatre data 29 selected by that user , the temporal data 30 selected by that user , and that user &# 39 ; s id . in this embodiment there will be a different record made for each user selection . still other variations in recording this data will be apparent to those skilled in the art . returning to the description of fig2 b , after either step 206 or step 207 is executed the next step to be performed is step 208 where a threshold is checked . at this stage in the processing , the content selection database 35 will enable the processor to identify the number of users having made the same selection . the exhibitor associated with a theatre may identify a threshold as that number of customers considered a minimum to justify scheduling content for display at a particular theatre and particular timeslot . this threshold may be constant for all exhibitors , it may vary by exhibitor , it may vary with the theatre and / or theatre and timeslot . in any event at step 208 a comparison is made between that threshold and the number of users having made the related selection so as to determine if the threshold is or is not met . if the threshold is not met , then this portion of the procedure has been completed . on the other hand , if the threshold is met then a sufficient number of users have made the selection to justify the scheduling the presentation of the particular content in the particular theatre in the particular selected timeslot . therefore function 209 is performed to create a new record in the scheduled database 50 ( see fig2 a ). fig2 d is an example of one form in which the data recorded in the scheduled database 50 can be stored . as shown in fig2 d , one record , record number 1 includes content data 128 , theatre data 129 , temporal data 130 and reference data 131 . the reference data component 131 is a way of capturing the identity of the users having made the data selection found in records 128 - 130 . the reference data 131 may be simply a list of user ids . alternatively , it could be a reference to a record ( in the content selection database 35 or elsewhere ) in which is stored the user ids having made that selection . regardless of how this data storage is implemented , reference data 131 enables the processor 55 to identify the particular users having made the associated selections and the number of those users . another procedure performed by the processor 55 is illustrated in fig2 e . as shown , the procedure of fig2 e operates on the contents of the scheduled database 50 . the first function , 310 accesses the scheduled database 50 . step 320 selects a recent entry , for example an entry in scheduled database 50 that has not yet been processed by the procedure of fig2 e . step 330 distributes information from this record to the related exhibitor site . referring again to fig2 d , the scheduled database 50 includes records which identify a particular content ( 128 ), theatre ( 129 ) and related temporal data ( 130 ). once the threshold number of users has been identified to justify scheduling a particular content , step 330 transmits the pertinent content ( at least components 128 - 130 ) to the exhibitor operating the particular theatre . processor 55 has access to theatre / exhibitor site address information to allow proper addressing of this information for transmission to the exhibitor . receipt of this information enables the exhibitor to integrate the information received from the scheduled database 50 into operating schedule of a particular theatre . the information from the scheduled database 50 may be used to actually schedule the presentation or the scheduling may be conditional on receipt of payment by the users who actually made the selections . in the latter case the exhibitor may also receive the identification of the users associated with the selections reflected in components 128 - 130 . in some embodiments the exhibitor will be concerned with payment functions . in that event the exhibitor requires the identity of the users who had requested the presentation of the particular selected content . by transmitting that information to the exhibitor , the exhibitor is enabled to request payment from the users . alternatively , payment functions can be handled by the on - demand servicer 500 or by a still different entity . in any event , the identity of the selecting users , which is available from the reference data 131 , will be important in completing the payment function . after distributing the content to the appropriate exhibitor ( 330 ) the next step ( 340 ) distributes relevant content to the related user . in this step the users who actually made the selections which led to the entry in the scheduled database 50 are informed that their selection will be presented at the selected theatre selection at the time slot of their selection . this may signal to those users the need or obligation to make payment , etc . the next step in the procedure of fig2 e is to distribute relevant content to appropriate social networking sites ( 350 ). as those skilled in the art are aware , social networking sites can identify a group of interested individuals from the identification of a particular user . accordingly , step 350 distributes the relevant content , e . g . the content data 128 , theatre data 129 , temporal data 130 and related user identification to particular social networking sites . for example , the user login or registration procedure may identify a social networking site related to the user . for each user identified in the record being processed , a message is transmitted to any related social networking site ( s ). the message identifies both the user and the particulars of the scheduled presentation . in this way , individuals who are associated with the user at that social networking site can be informed , by the social networking site , of the particular presentation which is scheduled and the fact that the driving impetus for the scheduling is the particular user . presumably some portion of the individuals associated with the user may be interested in also attending the presentation . distributing this information increases the probability that those viewing the scheduled presentation will include some of the individuals whom the social networking site has associated with the selecting user of the content . step 360 is executed to distribute the relevant content ( in this case the particular content , the particular theatre and the particular temporal data ) to a particular specialty site . for example , a specialty site which specializes in “ westerns ” can be informed of the scheduled presentation of a western film . information presented by the specialty site enables individuals accessing the specialty site ( presumably interested in presentation of western content ) to be informed of the scheduled display of the western allowing those individuals to attend the presentation as well . finally , step 370 determines if there are more recent entries for processing and , if so , processing returns to step 320 to begin the loop again with respect to another record from the scheduled database 50 . another embodiment is illustrated in fig1 , 3 a and 3 b . in this embodiment the on demand servicer 500 of fig2 a is replaced by the on demand servicer 505 shown in fig3 a . as seen in fig3 a , the on demand servicer 505 differs from the on demand servicer 500 ( of fig2 a ) in that the content selection database 35 and scheduled database 50 of fig2 a are replaced by the single selection database 60 . fig3 b is an illustration of one format in which the data may be stored in selection database 60 . a typical record of selection database 60 includes fields 76 - 80 . fields 76 - 79 may be the same as fields 28 - 31 of content selection database 35 storing , respectively , content data , theatre data , temporal data and user id . field 80 is a scheduled field . scheduled field 80 stores distinctive information to indicate whether a number of users in excess of the related predetermined threshold have made the associated selections . the first time a selection is made with given content , venue and temporal data a corresponding record may be written to the selection database 60 . on each subsequent occasion the same selection is made by a user , that user &# 39 ; s id is added to the record ( either directly or indirectly ) and the number of users identified in the record is compared to the predetermined threshold . when the number of users exceeds the threshold the distinctive information ( which need only be a schedule flag indicating that the conditions required for scheduling have been met ) is written to field 80 . thereafter information may be distributed to users , exhibitors , social and specialty networks as described in connection with fig2 e . procedures like those found in fig2 b and 2e are also associated with the embodiment of fig3 a / b . the procedure for writing to the selection database 60 is almost identical to the procedure shown in fig2 a . there are three changes . in steps 205 and 207 the database referred to is the selection database 60 and not the content selection database 35 . in step 209 rather than creating a new record in a scheduled database 50 , the scheduled field 80 of the selection database 60 is written with distinctive information indicating that the number of users having made the selection exceeds the predetermined threshold and scheduling the display is justified . the procedure for distributing information is also almost identical to the procedure of fig2 e . the changes from the procedure of fig2 e are now described . the access of step 310 is to the selection database 60 and not the scheduled database 50 . step 320 addresses only recent entries meeting two conditions : a ) entries where field 80 includes the distinctive information representing selection by more users than the predetermined threshold and b ) entries from which information has not yet been distributed . in some embodiments the on demand servicer will not actually distribute selection information to exhibitors , social networking sites or specialty sites unless the user selection is accompanied by payment or the promise of payment . this may be implemented by requiring the user to add credit card information ( or make other payment arrangements such as paypal , google or other bank related procedures ) to the selection information . the users may be informed that no charge will be processed unless the user &# 39 ; s selection is actually scheduled and in the event the user &# 39 ; s selection is scheduled but later cancelled then a refund will be provided to the user . the credit card or other payment information may be collected in either step 203 or 209 of fig2 b . in other embodiments the exhibitor associated with the selected theatre receives user id information and carries out payment related procedures . in still another embodiment payment is not required until the user attends the actual display of the content . in the following claims the term “ user ” or “ users ” shall mean a member or members of the consuming public as consumers of content exhibition in theatres , cinemas or other viewing locations simultaneously serving multiple users or viewers . while several specific embodiments of the invention have been described it will be understood that many changes can be made to the specific features described herein ; the scope of the invention is to be determined from the claims appended hereto . | 6 |
conventional afm oxidation lithographic processes are inherently serial since they rely on a single afm tip to fabricate the entire pattern . for example , to fabricate a single 3 μm long trench in graphene , the tip may be moved pixel by pixel at a scan speed of 0 . 05 μm / s . while such a trench may be fabricated in minutes , repeating a pattern of 20 or 30 longer trenches over a 100 μm 2 area would take hours . for example , fig2 is a schematic illustration of a portion 20 of a graphene layer 22 on a silicon dioxide substrate 24 being etched using a single afm tip 26 , exposing silicon dioxide 24 to define a series of quantum dots 28 surrounded by trenches 30 , which serve as electron tunneling barriers . the completed portion 20 is shown as fig3 . such structures could be used in a single or thin - layer graphene transistor 32 made according to an embodiment of the present invention . a schematic representation of such a transistor 32 , without electrical leads , is shown in fig4 in relation to the portion 20 of the graphene layer 22 of fig3 . such a transistor 32 could be on the order of a few square microns , but would require hours to fabricate using an afm tip because of its complexity . further , afm tip material tends to be hydrophilic silicon . if the substrate is hydrophobic , like graphene , the moving tip tends to pick up the water meniscus and separate it from the substrate . this effect tends to leave undesirable gaps in the pattern , decreasing the utility of any structure formed by that method . for these reasons , it is impractical to etch complex patterns using afm tip lithography . according to an embodiment of the present invention , a flash lithography technique , based on the general principles of afm - tip local oxidation described above , can be used to precisely and controllably fabricate complex , large - area structures having nanoscale features ( i . e ., “ nanostructures ”). such nanostructures can be produced at much higher rates by the disclosed flash lithography technique than by single - tip techniques . in brief , an electrically - conductive silicon chip is prepared with a raised template that can repeatedly create large - area nanostructures of any two - dimensional morphology on any material which can be locally oxidized . the pattern of the template is transferred to the substrate in a single flash - patterning step . exemplary embodiments of the invention are discussed herein with respect to graphene substrates , but the technique may be applied to other substrates that are susceptible to local oxidation . for the purposes of the present disclosure a nanoscale feature is one having at least one dimension of less than 1000 nm , preferably in the range of about 10 nm to about 100 nm . in principle , line widths as small as 20 nm can be achieved using the flash lithography method disclosed herein . in a nanolithographic method according to an embodiment of the present invention , a position sensor is magnetically attached to the magnetic scanner of an afm , and a templated silicon chip , such as that described above , is placed therein with the templated surface of the chip ( i . e ., the template ) facing outward . useful embodiments of the position sensor and templated chips are discussed elsewhere herein . by means of the afm , the template is brought into close proximity to an oxidizable substrate ( e . g ., a layer of graphene on silicon dioxide ). in some embodiments of the method , the template is brought to within 20 nm to 50 nm of the substrate . the ambient relative humidity in the environment of the template is adjusted to a user - defined value in the range of from about 20 % to about 60 %, causing the formation of a water meniscus between the template and the substrate that bridges the template and substrate and shadows the pattern of the template . a voltage is applied across the templated chip and the substrate for a set patterning time ( i . e ., a hold time ), oxidizing the substrate only where it is linked to the template through the water meniscus . in some embodiments of the invention , the voltage is in the range of from about − 4v to about − 10v , and the hold time is in the range of from about 60 milliseconds ( ms ) to about 100 ms , depending on the material to be oxidized and the values of other process parameters . as a result of the oxidation , a pattern is formed in the substrate that matches the pattern of the template . process parameters such as applied voltage , hold time , radius of curvature of the tip , the distance between the tip , and ambient humidity , can be varied during the nanolithographic process to control the dimensions of the features in the patterned substrate . the aforesaid nanolithographic method and the apparatus used to implement the method are described more fully with respect to the figures and examples discussed hereinbelow . fig5 is schematic illustration of an exemplary templated silicon chip 34 that is suitable for use in a flash lithography technique according to an embodiment of the present invention . the templated chip 34 includes an electrically - conductive template 36 having a sharp edge 38 in the form of a letter “ s ”. the template 36 is integral with the silicon body 40 of the chip 34 , which also has a metallic layer 42 opposite the template 36 . in an embodiment of the present invention , the sharp edge 38 has a width in the range of about 10 nm to about 30 nm , with the width being limited by the method used to make the template 36 and the material of which the template 36 is made . an exemplary method of making such a chip 34 is described elsewhere herein . fig6 is a schematic illustration of the chip 34 mounted on a position sensor 44 for positioning the chip 34 . the position sensor 44 includes a silicon body 46 with a substantially flat face 48 having a recess ( not shown ) therein for receiving the chip 34 . the chip 34 is placed in the recess such that the template 36 faces outward from the position sensor 44 . the position sensor 44 further includes a number of cantilevers 50 having sharp tips 52 that extend away from the silicon body 46 . in some configurations , such as that of fig6 , the arms 50 may be roughly co - planar with the face 48 , and the tips 52 may be structurally similar to afm tips . however , the cantilevers 50 are not necessary co - planar with the face 48 , or even straight ( see , e . g ., fig7 ). the cantilevers 50 and the tips 52 are configured that contacting the tips 52 with a substrate ( not shown ) causes the template 36 to be spaced from the substrate by a desired distance . the cantilevers 50 and the tips 52 may be made of silicon , but should include an electrically - insulating material ( e . g ., silicon dioxide ) where they approach or contact a substrate 54 of fig7 . fig7 is a schematic front view of a chip 34 in place over an exemplary substrate 54 during a flash lithographic process according to an embodiment of the present invention . the substrate 54 includes a graphene layer 56 on a silicon dioxide insulating layer 58 formed on a silicon chip 60 . the arms 50 and tips 52 of the position sensor 44 maintain a set distance between the template 36 and the graphene layer 56 . a water meniscus 62 forms between the sharp edge 38 of the template 36 and the graphene layer 56 . the position sensor 44 is supported by an afm ( not shown ), which also applies an electrical potential across the position sensor 44 and the substrate 54 to drive the oxidation reaction . the meniscus 62 provides the only direct electrical contact between the template 36 and the substrate 54 . fig8 is a schematic orthogonal top view of the substrate 54 after completion of the flash lithographic step . an s - shaped portion 64 of the graphene layer 56 has been removed by oxidation and volatilization of the resulting co 2 . removal of the s - shaped portion 64 has exposed the silicon dioxide layer 58 , which does not oxidize . the exemplary flash lithography process disclosed herein can be applied to more complex patterns than that discussed with respect to fig5 - 8 . fig9 is schematic illustration of a templated silicon chip 66 that includes an electrically - conductive template 68 that is suitable for forming a single - electron transistor such as transistor 32 of fig4 . the template 68 is formed with sharp edges , such as sharp edges 70 , which may have widths in the range of from about 10 nm to about 30 nm . in all other respects the chip 66 is similar to the chip 34 of fig5 . fig1 is a schematic front view of the chip 66 in place over an exemplary substrate 72 during a flash lithographic process according to an embodiment of the present invention . in practice , the chip 66 would be mounted in a position sensor , such as the position sensor 44 discussed with respect to fig6 and 7 . the substrate 72 includes a graphene layer 74 on a silicon dioxide insulating layer 76 formed on a silicon chip 78 . a water meniscus 79 forms between the sharp edges 70 of the template 68 and the graphene layer 74 , and has the contours of the template 68 . in all other respects , the flash lithography step may be same as that described with respect to fig7 . fig1 is a schematic orthogonal top view of the substrate 72 after completion of the flash lithographic step . trenches 80 have been formed by removal of the graphene layer 74 by oxidation and volatilization of the resulting co 2 . removal of the lines 80 has exposed the silicon dioxide layer 76 . the resulting trenches 80 match those of the template 68 and the transistor 32 of fig4 . fig1 a - 12g are a sequenced set of schematic diagrams illustrating an exemplary method of forming templates , such as template 36 of fig5 and template 68 of fig9 , for use in a flash lithography process according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 a , a layer 82 of silicon dioxide , a few nanometers thick , is formed on a surface 84 of a n - type ultra - flat silicon chip 86 . referring to fig1 b , a pattern 88 in the shape of the desired template is formed by spin - coating a layer ( not shown ) of a high - resolution electron - beam resist ( e . g ., hydrogen silsesquioxane , zep - 520 , zeon corp ., tokyo , japan ) onto the silicon dioxide layer 82 , defining the pattern 88 by electron - beam lithography , and removing the excess resist with a solvent ( e . g ., acetone ) to expose the silicon dioxide 82 outside of the pattern 86 . electron - beam lithography may be used to define patterns having line widths as small as about 20 nm . referring to fig1 c , the exposed silicon dioxide is then etched away ( e . g ., by a hf / nh 4 f solution or ch 4 reactive etching ) to create a silicon dioxide mask 90 for the silicon chip 86 . referring to fig1 c and 12d , the electron - beam resist pattern 88 is removed , the portion of the silicon surface 84 outside of the silicon dioxide mask 90 is etched away ( e . g ., by cl 2 and hbr plasma etching ) to a desired thickness , and the silicon dioxide mask 90 is etched away , leaving behind a silicon layer 92 with a raised template 94 . referring to fig1 e , the silicon layer 92 and template 94 are subjected to low - temperature oxidation ( e . g ., at a temperature of 950 ° c .) to sharpen the contours of the template 94 , depositing silicon dioxide to a thickness of about 1 - 2 nm and forming a sharp edge 96 , followed by ion implantation of boron to make the template 94 electrically - conductive . a heavy dose of boron may be needed to provide an adequate electrical conductivity in the template . the boron may be activated by annealing at a temperature of about 950 ° c . in nitrogen gas for about 30 minutes . referring to fig1 f , a photoresist layer 98 is spin - coated over the template 94 and adjacent portions of the silicon layer 92 , and a metallic layer 100 ( e . g ., a layer of nickel ) is deposited on the back - side 102 of the silicon chip 86 so that it may provide an electrical and magnetic connection to an afm . in an embodiment of the present invention , the metallic layer 100 is formed to a thickness in the range of from about 100 nm to about 200 nm . referring to fig1 g , the photoresist layer 98 is removed , exposing at least the template 94 formed on the silicon chip 86 . fig1 is a schematic illustration of the chip 86 mounted to a silicon block 104 , such that the template 94 faces away from the block 104 . the block 104 is provided with spacers 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 positioned around the chip 86 . the spacers 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 are made of an electrically - insulating material and may be formed by deposition of silicon dioxide onto the silicon block 104 by methods known in the art . the spacers 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 extend past the template 94 such that contacting the spacers 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 with a substrate ( not shown ) causes the template 94 to be spaced away from the substrate by a desired distance . fig1 is a schematic front view of the chip 86 in place over an exemplary substrate 114 during a flash lithographic process according to an embodiment of the present invention . the substrate 114 includes a graphene layer 116 on a silicon dioxide insulating layer 118 formed on a silicon chip 120 . the spacers 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 maintain a set distance between the template 94 and the graphene layer 116 . a water meniscus 122 forms between the sharp edge 96 of the template 94 and the graphene layer 116 . the block 104 is supported by an afm ( not shown ), which also applies an electrical potential across the block 104 and substrate 114 to drive the oxidation reaction . fig1 a - 15i are a sequenced set of schematic diagrams illustrating a method for fabricating a position sensor 124 ( see fig1 h and 15i ) of the same type as the position sensor 44 discussed with respect to fig6 and 7 . in all of the illustrated steps of the method ( i . e ., fig1 a - 15i ), the views are end views taken from the same direction as the end view of the position sensor 124 shown in fig1 i . referring to fig1 a , layers 126 , 128 of a positive electron beam resist are applied to the backside 130 of a silicon - on - insulator ( soi ) wafer 132 in contact with the layers 126 , 128 to protect the backside 130 of the soi 132 during subsequent processing steps . the layers 126 , 128 are formed by well - known methods of spin - coating and electron - beam lithography . referring to fig1 b , a metallic layer 134 ( e . g ., a layer of nickel ) is deposited on the exposed area 136 of the backside 130 of the soi wafer 132 so that the position sensor 124 may be electrically and magnetically connected to an afm ( note shown ). in an embodiment of the present invention , the metallic layer 134 has a thickness in the range of from about 100 nm to about 200 nm . referring to fig1 c , a negative photoresist 138 is patterned onto the front side 140 of the soi wafer 132 so as to define an exposed area 142 of the front side 140 . silicon is then etched from the exposed area 142 . the silicon etching may be performed by methods using cl 2 and hbr , or other methods known in the art . referring to fig1 d , the aforementioned silicon etching creates a recess 144 for receiving a templated chip 146 ( see fig1 ) of the same type discussed with respect to fig5 , 9 and 12 a - 12 g . the negative photoresist 138 is then removed ( e . g ., by use of acetone ) from areas 148 , 150 . referring to fig1 e , removal of the negative photoresist 138 exposes portions ( not shown ) of the front side 140 of the soi wafer 132 corresponding to areas 148 , 150 . layers 152 , 154 of silicon dioxide , layers 156 , 158 of silicon , and layers 160 , 162 of silicon dioxide are exposed at the front side 140 using techniques described in j . han et al ., j . micromech . microeng . ( 2006 ), vol . 16 , pp . 198 - 204 ( hereinafter , “ the han article ”), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . additional layers 164 , 166 of silicon dioxide are added to the backside 130 of the soi wafer 132 , to protect the soi wafer 132 in contact with the silicon dioxide layers 164 , 166 . referring to fig1 f , a layer of photoresist 168 is formed over the backside 130 of the soi wafer 132 and the silicon dioxide layers 164 , 166 to protect them during subsequent etching steps , and the upper silicon dioxide layers 152 , 154 are etched so as to leave silicon dioxide remnants 170 , 172 to protect the ends 174 , 176 of the silicon layers 156 , 158 , where conical tips 174 , 176 ( see fig1 g - 15h ) will be formed distal to the soi wafer 132 . silicon layers 164 , 166 are etched , and silicon dioxide remnants 170 , 172 are removed to form conical tips 174 , 176 , according to methods described in the han article . referring to fig1 g , the conical tips 174 , 176 extend transversely from the etched silicon layers 156 , 158 . the etched silicon layers 156 , 158 , in combination with the respective conical tips 174 , 176 are referred to hereinafter as cantilevers 178 , 180 . the photoresist 168 is removed and the back side 130 of the soi wafer 132 is etched , followed by etching of silicon dioxide layers 160 , 162 , 164 , 166 ( e . g ., by using tetramethylammonium hydroxide at 80 ° c .) to free the cantilevers 178 , 180 . the cantilevers 178 , 180 , especially including the tips 174 , 176 , are made non - conductive by the deposition of silicon dioxide layers 182 , 184 , 186 , 188 . silicon dioxide layers 186 , 188 should generally conform to the underlying tips 174 , 176 . the photoresist 138 is then removed . the completed position sensor 124 is shown in end view in fig1 i . fig1 shows a templated chip 136 situated in the recess 144 of the position sensor 124 . the templated chip 136 may be of the same type as templated chips 34 , 66 , 86 discussed with respect to fig5 , 9 and 12 a - 12 g , respectively . fig1 is a bottom orthogonal view of the position sensor 124 with the templated chip 136 showing another view of the cantilevers 178 , 180 , and additional cantilevers 182 , 184 formed by an extension of the method discussed with respect to fig1 e - 15i . the necessary steps of such an extension will be recognized by those having ordinary skill in the art and possession of the present disclosure . the position sensor 124 can be magnetically mounted to a conventional afm scanner head . the position sensor 124 can be used as part of a sensor in a system for controlling the position and orientation of a templated chip relative to a substrate . the components of the system and their arrangement are not illustrated by a figure , but are described in sufficient detail herein to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to comprehend and construct such a system . components of position sensor 124 are numbered with reference to fig1 and 17 . position sensing may be accomplished using a light lever technique . in an embodiment of the present invention , the position sensor 124 is mounted on the scanner head of an afm , which moves the position sensor 124 . separate laser beams are directed at each of the cantilevers 178 , 180 , 182 , 184 from the backside 130 of the position sensor 124 . in an embodiment of the present invention , a beam from a single laser source is split by beam splitters to generate separate laser beam for each cantilever 178 , 180 , 182 , 184 . each laser beam is reflected off of the cantilever and onto the center of a four - quadrant diode , which is a device well - known in the art . as a cantilever 178 , 180 , 182 , 184 is brought closer to the substrate , electrostatic forces cause it to deflect in the z - direction and laterally . this deflection is seen as a change in the position of the reflected laser beam and measured as a voltage differential between the top - bottom and left - right halves of the photodiode . voltage differentials for the respective diodes can be compared through a simple feedback loop . this system will continuously monitor the position and orientation of the position sensor 124 relative to the substrate , allowing for manual or automatic control . the disclosed nanolithography technique can reproducibly transfer a pattern to a large area of substrate by a single application of voltage . arrays of such patterns can be fabricated in a short amount of time simply by changing the lateral position of the templated chip . high reproducibility is achieved since the short patterning time and the rigidity of the templated chip configuration fortifies the technique against thermal or mechanical instability . table 1 presents a comparison of an embodiment of the present invention with lithography techniques in the prior art . ** an array of several tens to hundreds of afm tips is capable of producing arbitrary patterns per tip , however this pattern is repeated per tip , thereby creating arrays of such patterns . a series of experiments were conducted using single - tip anodic oxidation ( i . e ., point oxidation using a standard afm tip ) of graphene to define parameter ranges for the design of the nanolithographic processes of the present disclosure . experiments were performed using a pacific nanotechnology nano - i2 afm . single - tip local anodic oxidation was used to cut few - layer graphene ( flg ) and inscribe insulating patterns on highly - ordered pyrolyzed graphite ( hopg ) using a standard afm tip . a bias of − 10v was applied to the tip with no feedback in a high humidity atmosphere to create 0 . 5 nm trenches spaced 27 nm apart on flg , and having depths of 0 . 5 nm . under the same conditions , with the afm in scan mode , non - volatile , electrically - insulating square patterns of graphene oxide were formed on hopg . the squares had dimensions of about 50 μm × 50 μm and line widths of about 600 nm to 800 nm . local oxidation was used to segment multi - walled carbon nanotubes at selected points . a standard afm tip was positioned over a selected point on a nanotube having a diameter of about 50 nm , and a bias of about − 5 v was applied for 100 ms . local oxidation of a graphene substrate using a standard afm conductive diamond tip was performed to evaluate the effect of the distance between the tip and the substrate at high relative humidity ( i . e ., relative humidity greater than 60 %) across a voltage range of − 4v to − 8v and a hold time of about 100 ms . feature sizes obtained under the process conditions that were evaluated are presented in table 2 and plotted in fig1 . local oxidation of a graphene substrate using a standard afm conductive diamond tip was performed to evaluate the effect of the distance between the tip and the substrate at low relative humidity ( i . e ., relative humidity less than 30 %) across a voltage range of − 6v to − 9v and a hold time of about 100 ms . feature sizes obtained under the process conditions that were evaluated are presented in table 3 and plotted in fig1 . local oxidation of a graphene substrate using a standard afm conductive diamond tip was performed to evaluate the effect of the voltage holdtime on feature size . tests were made at an applied voltage of − 7 . 85 v , a relative humidity of about 33 %, and a tip / substrate distance of 45 - 50 nm . feature sizes obtained under the process conditions that were evaluated are presented in table 4 and plotted in fig2 . it should be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make many variations and modifications thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . all such variations and modifications , including those discussed above , are intended to be included within the scope of the invention , which is described , in part , in the claims presented below . | 1 |
before describing the present invention in detail , it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to specific materials or device structures or geometries , as such may vary . it is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only , and is not intended to be limiting . as used in this specification and the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ,” “ an ,” and “ the ” include both singular and plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . thus , for example , reference to “ an active ingredient ” includes a plurality of active ingredients as well as a single active ingredient , reference to “ a temperature ” includes a plurality of temperatures as well as single temperature , and the like . it has been discovered that in a fluidized bed reactor which has fluid at approximately atmospheric pressure flowing through it and suitably sized electrodes being excited at appropriate frequencies and voltages , it is possible to observe an intermittent discharge which we call “ multi - arc .” this discharge is characterized by the existence of arcs which start at one electrode or inside the particle bed , and proceed towards the other electrode , passing through or near particles in the fluidized bed reactor . the individual arcs may last , for example , for milliseconds to seconds . the discharges persist continuously as long as the fluid flows , the density of particles is maintained , and the electrodes are excited at appropriate frequencies and voltages . although reference is made here primarily to fluidized beds , it is understood that other similar moving bed reactors , such as entrained beds , rotary kilns , and cascade beds , will have similar ability to benefit from our invention . the general appearance of a multi - arc discharge may be understood by reference to fig1 . the figure depicts schematically an elevation view of a thin cross section of a multi - arc discharge between two parallel electrodes 10 and 12 . the cross section is taken perpendicular to the electrodes , as depicted in the inset 18 . the entire discharge would consist of a number of such cross sections stacked against each other . fig1 is not to scale . in particular , the particles such as 14 are depicted as larger than would normally be expected for a realistic separation between electrodes 10 and 12 . as may be seen in fig1 , a multi - arc discharge exists in a fluidized bed or similar fluidized collection of particles such as 14 moving in a fluid . the discharge consists of a multitude of small arcs such as 16 going either from an electrode to a particle or between two particles or between two electrodes . while the arcs depicted in fig1 remain within the cross - section shown in the figure , it is also possible for arcs to go from a particle in one cross - section to a particle in another cross section like the on depicted . the cross - sections are merely an artificial subdivision of the space between the electrodes which we adopt for ease in depicting schematically the multi - arc discharge . without being bound by theory , it is hypothesized that a multi - arc discharge occurs because the individual particles in a fluidized bed reactor act in combination with the electrodes as a variable capacitor with continuous locally variable dimensions . the electric fields so created on occasion exceed the breakdown voltage of the gas or gases in the bed . small arcs form , and those arcs are then able to propagate from particle to particle . multi - arc discharges may be produced with an apparent bed density of particles in the fluidized bed reactor which is , for example , about 0 . 1 g / cm 3 to about 0 . 3 g / cm 3 to about 1 g / cm 3 to about 3 g / cm 3 to about 10 g / cm 3 . this density is taken relative to the volume in which the particles are fluidized . a wide range of particles may be used in the bed . they may take part in the chemical reaction which is being assisted by the multi - arc discharge , for example by having a coating deposited on them as a result of that reaction . alternatively , they may be inert particles which are in the bed solely to facilitate the formation of the discharge . the particles may be , for example , metallic , ceramic , organic , semiconductor , or composite . the particles may be from about 1 μm in mean diameter to about 10 μm , 100 μm , about 300 μm , about 500 μm , or about 1 mm in mean diameter . a wide range of gases may be introduced into the fluidized bed . such gases may be inert gases chosen simply to assist in the fluidization , as for example noble gases , or they may alternatively be reactive gases that take part in the chemical reaction . the fluidizing gas or gases should have a flow rate into the bed sufficient for it to be fluidized . preferably the gases should have a flow rate that does not cause the production of large bubbles in the fluidized bed . as is known to those skilled in the art , the precise rate of flow sufficient to initiate fluidization with a given collection of particles may depend , inter alia , on the particle size distribution and density of the particles . as is known by persons of skill in the art , a fluidized bed reactor design may differ , for example , according to whether the process is intended for batch or continuous practice . design may differ also , for example , based on whether the particles are a product of the process . in addition , depending on the heat generated by the reaction carried out in the reactor , it may be necessary to provide for cooling , for example by tubes embedded in the fluidized bed cooled by the circulation of a liquid such as water through the tubes . many other design considerations for fluidized bed reactors exist . a general introductory reference on the design of fluidized bed reactors is j . r . howard , fluidized bed technology : principles and applications ( bristol , 1989 ). the multi - arc discharges of the invention may be useful in accelerating any reaction already known to be assisted by the formation of reactive species in a discharge of some type . there is an extensive literature on such reactions which carried out with the assistance of low - pressure plasmas , corona discharges , dielectric barrier discharges , and the like . reactions which are accelerated by multi - arc discharges may , for example , occur between gases . they may alternatively occur between one or more gases and the surface of the particles , as for example when the reaction results in the deposition of a layer upon the surface of the particles or in the etching away of a portion of the surface of the particles . the reactions may alternatively occur between one or more gases which have passed through the multi - arc discharge and then impinge upon a surface , or upon a liquid , or upon a solid workpiece of some shape . it should be understood that when we say that reactions occur between gases or between a gas and something else such as a particle or workpiece , we include a situation in which intermediates are formed from gas molecules ( by means of the discharge or otherwise ), and these intermediates go on to react further . it is believed that the formation of such reactive intermediates is a common occurrence in reactions involving gases in a discharge or gases which have passed through a discharge . the intermediates may be ions , radicals , adsorbates , absorbates , or other types of intermediates . the formation of these species may be enhanced by the addition to the particles in the bed or the surface of the particles of catalytic materials , coatings , or islands that can affect the reaction rate or extent or direction as well as absorbants materials that may absorb part of the products or byproducts , thus reducing their presence in the gas phase and increasing the overall reaction rate and extent , or even changing the composition of the final products . the reactions for which a multi - arc discharge is useful may , for example , include the depositions of oxides , nitrides , and carbides that are carried out with plasma - enhanced chemical vapor deposition in the semiconductor industry . the reactions may include , for example , depositions which result in films of sin x o y , sic x h y , or sio x c y h z with varying values of x , y , and z . silicon depositions may employ , for example , chlorosilanes . silica depositions may employ , for example , tetraethyl orthosilicate ( teos ). these depositions may be carried on a wide variety of substrates , for example ceramics , semiconductors , or metals . a multi - arc discharge may also be useful , for example , for surface treatments of particles in which the particles are cleaned or etched in some manner by bombardment of ions from the discharge or by reaction with suitable cleaning or etching gases , for example halides , oxygen , or ammonia . surface treatments of this type may , for example , serve to facilitate adhesion of additional layers to the surfaces treated . such treatments using plasma discharges are particularly used for polymeric materials . surface treatments may , for example , be used to render a polymeric material more hydrophilic or more dispersible . hydrophilicity may be achieved , for example , by using oxygen gas to create c ═ o and c ( o ) o groups on a vinyl polymer backbone . reactions for which the multi - arc discharge is useful include , for example , halogenation of metals , such as titanium . the reactions may be carried out using metal particles in the fluidized bed and a process gas which can halogenate the metal particles . a discussion of some reactions in this class is found in u . s . published patent application no . 2005 / 0097991 , assigned to the same assignee as the present application . reactions in which halogenated organic compounds are converted to potentially less harmful species are a further class of reactions for which multi - arc discharges may be useful . example 2 shows the utility of multi - arc discharges for the reaction ccl 4 + 2h 2 o → co 2 + 4hcl . multi - arc discharges would also be expected to be useful for reactions of ccl 4 with oxygen . more generally , multi - arc discharges would be expected to be useful to dispose of undesired types of compounds such as dioxins , even when they are present in a low concentration such as less than a part per million by volume . more generally , multi - arc discharges may be useful for processes which involve converting undesirable substances to potentially less harmful species , since variations between the discharge - assisted and unassisted reactions may be acceptable as long as the undesirable substance is eliminated . other reactions which may benefit from a multi - arc discharge would be , for example , those discussed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 810 , 524 , 5 , 372 , 799 , and 5 , 399 , 832 . other reactions that may benefit from multi - arc discharges are those that generally are not perceived as practical with normal thermal systems even when operating at very high temperatures , including those not possible at over 1000 ° c . and even over 1500 ° c . for example , production of metals by reduction of many ores such as oxide ores by h 2 is not possible even at temperatures over 1000 ° c . examples are sio 2 and tio 2 . a multi - arc discharge approach permits the formation of atomic hydrogen , which does have the reductive power to produce metals from those oxides . the reactions of interest may take place within the area in which the multi - arc discharge is occurring . alternatively , such reactions may take place in an area to which a gas or gases flow after passing through the multi - arc discharge . in order to produce a multi - arc discharge it is convenient to have a control circuit which energizes the electrodes at appropriate voltages and frequencies to produce a discharge of that type . the control circuit may be a simple analog oscillator , power amplifier , and voltage divider or transformer , or it may be a more complex electronic circuit capable , for example , of communicating with a computer which may be able to control multiple instruments and actuators . fig3 depicts a simple arrangement for energizing two electrodes . an oscillator 42 generates a waveform which is passed to a power amplifier 44 . a transformer 46 is used at the output of the power amplifier 44 to produce voltages which swings up and down above and below ground at the outputs in order to drive two electrodes within the fluidized bed reactor 40 . where the control circuit can communicate with a computer , the computer may control the voltages and frequencies which are applied to the electrodes in order to produce the discharge , and may also monitor or control , for example , the actuators , for example pumps and valves , which are used to feed the fluidized bed reactor . the computer may also use information on the operation of the discharge , for example information from temperature sensors , plasma - diagnostic style probes , or optical sensors , to drive the electrodes and / or to control the actuators which determine how the reactor is fed . this computer control may be particularly useful , for example , in the startup phase of the reactor . the computer control may be part of a larger integrated control system covering a variety of conditions relating to the operation of the fluidized bed reactor or of a larger process of which it is a part . the computer control may be expected also to maintain records of the operation of the reactor , for example on disk storage , or to dispatch information about the operation of the reactor over a communications medium of some sort to other computer systems . the control circuit would be expected in many cases to have some type of operator interface allowing an operator to control the operation of the system . this interface could , for example , be implemented in a computer with which the control circuit communicates , or it may be implemented with buttons and dials , or by a combination of the two . to produce a multi - arc discharge it is preferred to energize the electrodes at a frequency predominantly or substantially under 20 khz , including for example with dc voltages . more preferably , the electrodes are energized at a frequency between about 1 khz and about 3 khz . alternatively , the electrodes may be energized at two or more frequencies , including energizing at dc . the voltages which are employed will depend on the distance between the electrodes , since electrical discharges in general have been observed to have thresholds at particular electric field strengths . in general , for small laboratory scale reactors a voltage of no more than about 10 kv may be employed . a wide variety of electrode shapes and arrangements may be employed . in fig2 , a simple arrangement of two cylindrical hollow electrodes is shown . we have a cylindrical reactor with distributor plate 26 , gas inlet 32 and gas outlet 30 . a lower hollow electrode 24 is in contact with the bed 22 . the upper hollow electrode 20 can be still immersed in the bed 22 above the first one 24 , or at the top of the bed or above the bed up to 2 cm higher for voltages in the kv level . the power oscillator 28 provides power to the two electrodes . it is alternatively possible to have a variant on fig2 in which only the upper hollow electrode 20 is present , and the distributor plate 26 serves as a second electrode . in fig4 , an alternate arrangement of electrodes is shown , in which there are four electrodes 60 , 62 , 64 , and 66 . as may be seen , these four electrodes are arranged to form a cylinder around the fluidized bed . the electrodes may be energized in a pattern which rotates around the cylinder . for example , electrodes numbers 60 , 62 , 64 , and 66 may be energized with the same waveform but at different phases , so that the phase of the waveform energizing electrode 62 is offset 90 ° from that energizing electrode 60 , the phase of the waveform energizing electrode 64 is offset 180 ° from that energizing electrode 60 , and the phase of the waveform energizing electrode 66 is offset 270 ° from that energizing electrode 60 . other arrangements involving multiple electrodes energized with different - phase versions of the same waveform are possible . for example , three electrodes could be employed which are energized by three - phase power type waveforms . a variety of circuits may be used to produce different - phase versions of the same waveform . an exemplary circuit is given in fig5 . there is an oscillator 70 which drives a power amplifier 72 and a 90 ° phase shifter 78 , the latter in turn driving power amplifier 73 . the output of each power amplifier is fed into its respective transformer 74 and 76 . taps are taken off the power transformers to drive electrodes through connections 80 , 82 , 84 , and 86 . it is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the preferred specific embodiments thereof , the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention . other aspects , advantages , and modifications within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . all patents , patent applications , and publications mentioned herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties . however , where a patent , patent application , or publication containing express definitions is incorporated by reference , those express definitions should be understood to apply to the incorporated patent , patent application , or publication in which they are found , and not to the remainder of the text of this application , in particular the claims of this application . the following examples are put forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to implement the invention , and are not intended to limit the scope of what the inventors regard as their invention . efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers ( e . g ., amounts , temperature , etc .) but some errors and deviations should be accounted for . unless indicated otherwise , parts are parts by weight , temperature is in ° c . and pressure is at or near atmospheric . a fluidized bed reactor is constructed comprising a tube of inner diameter 22 mm , a gas inlet passing through a distributor , a metal frit serving as an electrode , and a mesh electrode which is movable with respect to the tube . helium is supplied at 0 . 6 liters / min to create a fluidized bed of porous aluminum oxide particles of about 60 μm mean diameter . a multi - arc may be produced in this reactor by energizing the electrodes at about 1 kv and frequencies ranging from 500 hz to 3000 hz . the reaction ccl 4 + 2h 2 o → co 2 + 4hcl is carried out as follows . a flow of he of 0 . 6 liters / min is provided to a fluidized bed reactor comprising a porous aluminum oxide powder , forming a fluidized bed . a flow of 0 . 5 ml / hour of ccl 4 and 0 . 5 ml / hour of h 2 o is supplied . a multi - arc discharge is started up over a period of 600 s and continued at full strength until 4000 s have elapsed . a voltage of about 1 kv is applied at frequencies of about 2000 hz between two steel screen electrodes , one situated at the bottom of the bed immediately on top of the distribution plate and a second a few mm from the top of the bed during fluidization . the bed thickness is about 1 cm . the concentrations of gases exiting the reactor are measured using a quadrupole mass analyzer ( qma ). fig6 depicts the resulting measurements , where it is seen that the multi - arc discharge has permitted the reaction of ccl 4 and h 2 o to occur . using the same design and working conditions as in example 2 , ticl 4 and n 2 were injected . a golden tin coating was obtained on a quartz tube partially immersed in the bed . | 1 |
the disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawing figures , in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout . as shown in fig1 , a machine assisted laminator 10 (“ mal ”) suitable for use in an embodiment of the disclosure includes one or more robotic vehicles 12 to position a ply material 14 upon a form 16 to generate an item 18 . the robotic vehicles 12 are guided by a guidance system 20 . the guidance system 20 includes one or more laser emitters 22 , laser receivers 24 , and a control unit 26 . the control unit 26 is configured to receive instructions from a user and forward instructions to the laser emitters 22 . the laser emitters 22 are configured to forward signals , via laser , to the laser receivers 24 and thereby control the movement of the robotic vehicles 12 . in this manner , a set of computer readable instructions are utilized by the mal 10 to fabricate the item 18 . a more detailed description of the robotic vehicles 12 and the guidance system therefore are to be found in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 986 , 292 , entitled , optical laser guidance system apparatus and method , filed on nov . 12 , 2004 , by roger j . ledet and john e . yestrau , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety . in an embodiment , the mal 10 includes two or more robotic vehicles 12 configured to co - operatively apply the ply material 14 to the form 16 . for example , as shown in fig1 , each robotic vehicle 12 initiates placement of the ply material 14 at or near a center portion of the form 16 and then co - operatively work outward and to different portions of the form 16 . thus , it is an advantage of embodiments of the disclosure that material lay down rates are increased over atlms that have only one conventional end effector . in another example , the robotic vehicles 12 are configured to co - operatively weave two or more layers of the ply material 14 together upon the form 16 . thus , it is an advantage of embodiments of the disclosure that structural integrity of the item 18 is increased and de - lamination of the item 18 is decreased by weaving multiple layers of the ply material 14 together . in another embodiment of the disclosure , the mal 10 includes a robotic armature or gantry - type positioning device configured to position or otherwise control the placement of the ply material upon the form 16 . in a particular example , the gantry - type positioning device is configured to control ten axes of movement ( five axes of the gantry and five axes of an end effector ). however , it is to be understood that the specific number of axes may depend upon the particular operating condition and thus , the number of axes controlled is not critical to the disclosure . in yet other embodiments , the set of computer readable instructions are utilized to control the movements of the tool 16 . for example , the tool 16 includes a rotating mandrel or x - y table . each robotic vehicle 12 is configured to apply course material 14 on the form 16 . in various forms , the robotic vehicles 12 include a compaction roller , sweep , and / or vacuum placement shoe to apply the course material 14 to the form 16 . the form 16 is configured to provide a suitably stable and finished surface for ply placement . characteristics of the form 16 , such as size , shape , contour , and the like , are based upon design parameters of an item 18 . the item 18 is shown in fig1 being constructed from a plurality of courses 28 . each layer of the courses 28 placed upon the form 16 or a substrate 30 is described as a ply and the item 18 is typically fabricated from a plurality of plies . the substrate 30 includes the form 16 surface and / or a previously applied course 28 . fig2 is a perspective view of a front of an end effector 32 that is suitable for use with the mal 10 . the end effector 32 is positioned by the robotic vehicle 12 or any suitable positioning device such as , for example , a robotic armature , gantry type device , and the like . as shown in fig2 , the end effector 32 includes a supply roll 34 to dispense a course material 14 . this supply roll 34 is supported by a support 36 . in a particular embodiment , the support 36 includes a pair of rollers to facilitate rolling of the supply roll 34 . in this manner , the course material 14 is withdrawn from the supply roll 34 . specifically , the rollers facilitate an unpowered or “ free wheeled ” removal of the course material 14 from the supply roll 34 . that is , the course material 14 is drawn off the supply roll 34 via the movement of the end effector 32 without need of relatively complex servo motors and control systems . thus , simplifying and improving the reliability . the course material 14 includes any suitable course material . examples of suitable course material include various fibers , films , foils , and / or the like . particular examples of fibers include glass , aramid , carbon , and various other fibers in the form of unidirectional “ tape ,” woven fabric , biaxial cloth and the like . in addition , the course material 14 may be pre - impregnated with a resin or other such binding substance . the course material 14 optionally includes a backing or separator film 40 ( shown in fig4 ) to substantially prevent the course material 14 from adhering to itself while in roll form . the end effector 32 further includes a sensor 38 . the sensor 38 includes any suitable sensing device . examples of suitable sensing devices include tactile , optical , and systems employing various forms of electromagnetic radiation such as infra red ( ir ), microwave , and the like . in a particular example and as discussed further herein , the sensor 38 includes a machine vision system configured to determine the position of an edge 42 of a previously applied course 28 . in various other examples , the sensor 38 includes an array of feelers that contact the substrate 30 and sense a difference in height and / or an array of photo detectors that sense differences in incident light reflected from the substrate 30 . the mal 10 typically applies the course material 14 upon the substrate 30 along a “ natural path .” generally , the natural path is described in terms of a path the course material 14 would take when rolled out upon the substrate 30 . more specifically , a centerline 44 of the natural path is described geometrically as a geodesic curve on the substrate 30 . that is , the shortest distance between two points that lies on the substrate 30 . fig2 additionally illustrates an interface 46 disposed between two adjoining courses 28 . this interface 46 generally coincides with the warp direction of the flanking courses 28 . the interface 46 may diverge somewhat from the warp direction of one or both of the flanking courses 28 depending upon the taper or profile of the courses 28 . the item 18 typically includes multiple plies and it is not uncommon that two or more plies may lay in the same or approximately same warp direction . plies laying in the same warp direction are generally separated by several plies in other warp directions . still , it is preferable that interfaces 46 of the plies laying in the same or similar warp direction are not in alignment . it is an advantage of an embodiment that the alignment of the interfaces 46 are determined and adjusted or offset if found to be in alignment . fig3 is a perspective view of a rear of the end effector 32 suitable for use with the mal 10 . as shown in fig3 , the end effector 32 further includes a cutting assembly 48 configured to cut the course material 14 . in general , the cutting assembly 48 performs cuts to generate a side edge profile . in addition , the cutting assembly performs end cuts , such as leading edge and trailing edge cuts . the cutting assembly 48 includes any suitable cutting device 50 operable to sever or otherwise cut the course material 14 . suitable devices include ultrasonic knives , saws , lasers , and the like . furthermore , the cutting assembly 48 includes an actuator 52 to position the cutting device 50 along a rail 54 that traverses the course material 14 . the actuator 52 is configured to respond to signals from a controlling device . in operation , the mal 10 is configured to apply the courses 28 to generate a ply of the item 18 . the course material 14 , is typically applied according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s specifications . for example , courses of unidirectional tape are typically abutted and / or applied within a gap tolerance of about 0 . 10 inches with essentially no overlap tolerance . in another example , fabric typically has no gap tolerance , but rather , may have an overlap tolerance of 0 . 25 to 0 . 50 inches . depending upon the contour of the substrate 30 , the natural path of the courses may converge or diverge beyond these tolerances . in an embodiment , the paths of the courses 28 are defined such that an overlap 56 is generated . the overlap 56 is configured such that at a relative maximum divergence between two abutting courses 28 , the respective edges of the abutting courses 28 are not further away than the gap tolerance . in the event that the overlap 56 exceeds the overlap tolerance , excess course material 14 is trimmed . the amount of excess to trim is determined based upon the sensed edge of the previously applied course 28 . for example , when applying unidirectional tape , the cutting assembly 48 is controlled to cut a profile along the edge of the course material 14 to essentially coincide with the edge of the previously applied course 28 . in a preferred embodiment , the cutting assembly 48 is configured to function with a vacuum placement shoe s . in general , the vacuum placement shoe s is configured to generate a partial vacuum between the ply material 14 and the substrate 30 . as the end effector 32 advances and the ply material 14 is withdrawn from the vacuum placement shoe s , the ply material 14 is pressed upon the substrate 30 via atmospheric pressure . specifically , the vacuum placement shoe s is configured to form a seal over a portion of the substrate 30 and generate a partial vacuum within the sealed area . the ply material 14 is fed through the sealed area and pressed upon the substrate 30 via atmospheric pressure . a more detailed description of the vacuum placement shoe is to be found in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 437 , 067 , entitled vacuum assisted ply placement shoe and method , filed on may 14 , 2003 , by roger j . ledet , arnold j . lauder , and matthew j . shewfelt , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety . fig4 is an exploded view of a ply layup according to an embodiment of the disclosure . as shown in fig4 , a ply 58 is consolidated upon the form 16 . that is , the courses 28 are applied to the form 16 and together these courses generate the ply 58 . in the example illustrated in fig4 , the separator film 40 is shown severed into strips 40 a and 40 b with the strip 40 a covering the portion of the course material 14 utilized to generate the ply 58 and the strip 40 b covering a trimmed excess course material 14 b . in another embodiment , the separator film 40 is essentially left intact during edge cutting operations . for example , the cutting assembly 48 is disposed upon the course material 14 side rather than the separator film 40 side and the cutting assembly 48 is configured to substantially leave the separator film 40 uncut as the course material 14 is cut . according to an embodiment , the separator film 40 is removed following fabrication of the ply 58 . it is an advantage of this embodiment that the separator film 40 substantially prevents the excess course material 14 b from adhering to the previously applied course 28 . as shown in fig4 , the separator film 40 a substantially prevents the excess course material 14 b from adhering to the previously applied course 28 . in addition , the separator film 40 a facilitates protection of the ply 58 from dust , debris , and physical insult such as , for example , scratches , abrasion , and the like . in various embodiments , the separator film 40 is removed prior to or during application of successive courses of the course material 14 to the substrate 30 , as is the case when edges of successive courses of the course material 14 are overlapped . in such instances , a take up reel , for example , is configured to accumulate the separator film 40 , 40 a and / or 40 b , and / or the excess course material 14 b . a suitable take up reel for use with the mal 10 is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 975 , 433 , entitled , automated fabric layup system and method , filed on oct . 29 , 2004 , by w . robert nelson , michael c . dowling , mark k . stephen , raymond l . royal , and c . tim harbaugh , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety . fig5 is a block diagram of a system 60 suitable for use with the mal 10 . as shown in fig5 , the system 60 includes a controller 62 . the controller 62 is operable to execute computer readable code . in this regard , the system 60 includes a set of computer readable instructions or code 64 . according to the code 64 , the controller 62 is configured to access a file 66 . this file 66 includes one or more of the following : a computer readable model of the composite item ; a computer readable representation of the surface of the layup form or the form 16 ; a computer readable representation of the edges of the form 16 ; the thickness of the composite item ; a source code based upon at least one of the composite item and the form 16 ; a set of movement instructions based upon the source code ; data gathered while laying up the composite item ; timestamp information ; positional information ; identification numbers ; and the like . the controller 62 is further configured to communicate across a network 68 . the network 68 is optionally included to provide additional data storage and / or processing capabilities . in this regard , the network includes a database 70 and a server 72 . the database 70 is configured to store a copy of the code 64 and / or file 66 . the server 72 is configured to generate , store , and perform any suitable processing of the code 64 and / or file 66 . in this manner , composite items generated on computer aided design ( cad ) machines such as the server 72 , for example , may be forwarded to the mal 10 . in addition , the server 72 is operable , via the network 68 , to forward updates for the code 64 and / or file 66 . in addition , the system 60 optionally includes a memory 74 . if present , the memory 74 is configured to store a copy of the code 64 and / or file 66 . also shown in fig5 is a positioning device controller 76 to control the robotic vehicle 12 and / or other such positioning devices . the positioning device controller 76 is optionally included in the system 60 depending upon the requirements of the various actuators and / or servo motors of the mal 10 . that is , depending upon the particular configuration of the mal 10 , a plurality of actuators and / or servo motors modulate the rotation , position , speed , direction , and the like of the various components of the mal 10 . more particularly , these actuators and / or servo motors of the robotic vehicle 12 and / or positioning device are at least configured to advance the robotic vehicle 12 or otherwise modulate the various axes of the end effector 32 and / or mal 10 . if present , parameters of the positioning device controller 76 are based upon the specification of the various actuators , servos , and / or the controller 62 . the positioning device controller 76 , if present , is configured to control some or all of these actuators and / or servo motors . in addition , these actuators and / or servo motors are optionally operable to be modulated by the controller 62 directly , and thus , the system 60 may not include the positioning device controller 76 . in addition , the controller 62 is configured to receive signals from the sensor 38 and , in response to these signals , determine the position of the edge 42 of a previously applied course 28 . for example , employing an optical sensor , image signals are received from the sensor 38 and the controller 62 , utilizing image analysis algorithms , identifies differences between the edge 42 and the underlying substrate 30 . in a particular example , the separator film 40 is a white or light color and the course material 14 and form 16 are black or a relatively darker color . thus , by identifying an interface between the white and black regions , the position of the edge is determined . in another example , the course material 14 is a relatively light color and the separator film 40 is a relatively darker color . similarly , other differentiating optical characteristics may be employed to determine the edge . in another example , the sensor 38 includes feelers that contact the substrate and signals from the sensor 38 are utilized to determine a height difference between the previously applied course 28 and the underlying substrate 30 . the controller 62 is further configured to modulate any suitable actuator such as , for example , servo motor , rack and pinions , linear drive belts , linear slides , x - y tables , pneumatic rams , linear actuators , and the like . in particular , the controller 62 is configured to control the action of the actuator 52 in response to the sensed edge of the previously applied course 28 . in this manner , a profile is cut upon an edge of the course material 14 , by the cutting assembly which substantially conforms to the sensed edge . the system 60 , optionally , further includes a plurality of sensors configured to sense the various suitable operating conditions or attributes of the mal 10 . examples of suitable attributes include some or all of the temperature of the course material 14 , the temperature at the location where the separator film 40 is separated from the course material 14 ( release point ), feed rate and direction , material placement , backing integrity , supply of course material 14 , and / or the like . the system 60 optionally includes a heater 80 . the heater 80 includes any suitable heating device such as , for example an electrical heating element and blower , infrared device , induction heater , and / or the like . in a particular example , the heater 80 includes a heating element and a blower configured to direct a stream of heated air as appropriate . in addition , the heater 80 optionally includes a nib heater , chute heater , and release point blower . if present , these devices are modulated by the controller 62 . the nib heater applies a controlled amount of heat to the form 16 , the course material 14 and / or the separator film 40 in response to controlling signals generated by the controller 62 . similarly , the chute heater applies a controlled amount of heat to the course material 14 and / or the separator film 40 in response to controlling signals generated by the controller 62 . in addition , the release point blower directs a flow of air toward the release point in response to controlling signals generated by the controller 62 . fig6 is a system architecture for the controller 62 suitable for use in the system 60 . as shown in fig6 , the controller 62 includes a processor 90 . this processor 90 is operably connected to a power supply 92 , memory 94 , clock 96 , analog to digital converter ( a / d ) 98 , and an input / output ( i / o ) port 100 . the i / o port 100 is configured to receive signals from any suitably attached electronic device and forward these signals to the a / d 98 and / or the processor 90 . if the signals are in analog format , the signals may proceed via the a / d 98 . in this regard , the a / d 98 is configured to receive analog format signals and convert these signals into corresponding digital format signals . conversely , the a / d 98 is configured to receive digital format signals from the processor 90 , convert these signals to analog format , and forward the analog signals to the i / o port 100 . in this manner , electronic devices configured to receive analog signals may intercommunicate with the processor 90 . the processor 90 is configured to receive and transmit signals to and from the a / d 98 and / or the i / o port 100 . the processor 90 is further configured to receive time signals from the clock 96 . in addition , the processor 90 is configured to store and retrieve electronic data to and from the memory 94 . furthermore , the processor 90 is configured to determine signals operable to modulate the positioning device controller 76 and thereby control the various actuators and / or servo motors of the mal 10 to exert a particular force and / or rotate to a particular degree . according to an embodiment of the disclosure , the processor 90 is configured to execute the code 64 . based on this set of instructions and signals from the various components of the mal 10 , the processor 90 is configured to determine a set of controlling signals and forward these signals to the heater 80 , cutting assembly 48 , and the like . fig7 illustrates steps involved in a method 110 of placing plies to produce a composite structure or product . prior to the initiation of the method 110 , a composite product is designed and , based on this design , a series of computer readable instructions specifying attributes of the composite product , such as the item 18 , is generated . in addition , a maximum width of material is determined based upon contours of the item 18 . for example , the contour along the course paths are determined and if a contour exceeds a recommended contour for a particular width of course material , a narrower or otherwise more accommodating material is selected and the course paths are re - calculated as appropriate . furthermore , the interfaces 46 between plies 58 laid in a similar warp direction are determined . if two or more of the interfaces 46 approximately overlap , course paths of at least one of the plies are adjusted or offset and the course paths are re - calculated as appropriate . the computer readable instructions are utilized to control the operations of the mal 10 . in addition , a form or tool such as the form 16 is designed and constructed based upon the design of the composite product . furthermore , the supply roll 34 is installed in the end effector 32 and the course material 14 is threaded through the end effector 32 . moreover , co - ordinated movements of a plurality of robotic vehicles 12 are optionally determined . these co - ordinated movements , if present , are stored to the file 66 and utilized to fabricate the item 18 . an example of the co - ordinated movements include instructions for a plurality of the robotic vehicles 12 to essentially simultaneously apply the course material 14 to the form 16 , thereby increasing the material lay down rate as compared to conventional atlms . another example of the co - ordinated movements include instructions for the plurality of the robotic vehicles 12 to essentially simultaneously apply a woven pattern of the course material 14 to the form 16 , thereby increasing the integrity of the item 18 as compared to conventional atlms . at step 112 , the method 110 is initiated by turning on the various components of the mal 10 described herein above and executing the computer readable instructions . at step 114 , the course material 14 is modulated by the action of the positioning device 12 and / or the supply roll 34 . for example , in response to the end of the course material 14 differing from the edge of the form 16 , the course material 14 is in position to be cut by the cutting assembly 48 . it is to be noted that in an embodiment , the course material 14 is essentially always cut along one or both edges ( profiles ) and that the step 114 is optionally performed to position the course material 14 for a leading edge cut . it is an advantage of this embodiment that a substantially continuous band of edge material is maintained throughout placement of the course material 14 to facilitate removal of the excess course material 14 b from the form 16 . at step 116 , instructions from the file 66 are utilized for cutting an appropriate leading edge and / or profile for the course material 14 at the start of a course . in response to the instructions , the cutting assembly 48 cut the leading edge and / or profile . in addition , profile and diagonal cuts are performed in conjunction with movement of the end effector 32 relative to the form 16 . in this regard , cutting operations and movement of the positioning device 12 are generally performed concurrently . in addition , while the course material 14 is being advanced , edge profile cuts based on the file 66 are performed on the course material 14 by the cutting assembly 48 . in another embodiment , an edge of a previously applied course 28 is sensed in a manner similar to step 120 and the profile of the course material 14 is cut in a manner similar to step 122 prior to and / or during the step 116 . at step 118 , the course material 14 is “ tacked ” to the substrate 30 . the substrate 30 includes , at least , the form 16 and / or a previously applied course 28 . for example , the positioning device 12 is controlled to move the end effector 32 to a starting position for the course 28 and into a suitable orientation . a downward force is applied to the course material 14 , pressing the course material 14 down upon the form 16 with sufficient force to cause adhesion . in addition , the location on the form 16 is determined based upon the series of computer readable instruction and / or the location of a previously positioned course material 14 . as described herein , the path of a course 28 placed adjacent to a previously applied course 28 is offset to generate the overlap 56 on the previously applied course 28 . this overlap 56 or a portion thereof is cut away during profiling of the edge of the course material 14 at step 122 . at step 120 , a previously applied course 28 , if present , is sensed . that is , when applying a second course 28 , the edge of the first course is sensed . more particularly , the edge 42 of the first course 28 at the interface between the first course 28 and the path of the second course 28 is sensed . in a similar manner , subsequent courses 28 are sensed . at step 122 , the profile of the course material 14 is generated in response to the edge sensed at step 120 . for example , in response to signals from the sensor 38 , the controller 92 determines a profile that corresponds to the sensed edge . the controller 92 further generates signals to modulate the cutting assembly 48 according to the determined profile . these signals are forwarded to the actuator 52 . in this manner , a profile is generated upon the course material 14 that substantially corresponds to the previously applied course 28 . depending upon the course material 14 , this profile is generated such that it overlaps , abuts , or approaches the edge of the previously applied course 28 . a more detailed description of this method of slitting and applying plies is to be found in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 058 , 267 , entitled , slit - course ply placement device and method , filed on feb . 16 , 2005 , by roger j . ledet , trevor m . mcdonald , and arnold j . lauder , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety . at step 124 , the course material 14 is dispensed along a path across the form 16 . as described herein , in order to minimize deformations in the course material 14 ( e . g ., wrinkles ), this path is typically calculated to coincide with a “ natural path ” based upon any contours in the form 16 . as the end effector 32 is controlled along the path across the form 16 , the course material 14 is withdrawn or “ free wheeled ” from the supply roll 34 via the movement of the end effector 32 relative to the substrate 30 . that is , the tacked portion of the course material 14 acts to pull course material 14 from the supply roll 34 . in other embodiments , the course material 14 is advanced via the action of the supply roll 34 , any suitable feed assembly , take - up roll , and the like . as the course material 14 is dispensed or applied , one or more edge profiles of the course material 14 are cut , as described at step 122 , via the action of the cutting assembly 48 in response to the edge sensed at step 120 . at step 126 , the placement of the course material 14 on the form 16 is optionally evaluated . for example , an operator or a sensor senses the relative position of the courses 28 and determine if the distance between these courses is within a predetermined tolerance . if the distance between these courses is not within the predetermined tolerance , an error may be generated at step 128 . if the distance between these courses is within the predetermined tolerance , it is determined if the end of the path has been reached at step 130 . in addition to placement of the course material 14 , wrinkles , bridges , foreign objects , debris , and the like are optionally sensed for by an operator and / or sensor . if any such abnormalcy is sensed , an error is generated . in addition or alternatively , the placement of the courses 28 is optionally evaluated following the completion of the ply 58 . it is an advantage of an embodiment that by leaving the separator film 40 on the course material 14 until the completion of the ply 58 , the ply 58 is protected from contamination and / or physical insult that may occur during evaluation . at step 130 , it is determined if the end of the course has been reached . more specifically , it is determined if the course material 14 that is approaching the cutting assembly 48 is to be end cut . if , based on the series of computer readable instruction , it is determined the course material 14 has not advanced to the end of the course , the edge of the previously applied course is sensed at step 120 . if , it is determined the course material 14 has advanced to the end of the course , the course material 14 is end cut at step 132 . at step 132 , the end of the course material 14 is cut based upon the series of computer readable instruction contained in the file 66 , the orientation of a previously positioned course material 14 , and / or the location of a previously positioned course material 14 . at step 134 , it is determined if the placement of course material 14 on the composite product has been completed . for example , if all of the computer readable instructions in the file 66 have been completed , it may be determined that the placement of plies 58 for the item 18 has been completed and the mal 10 may idle until another series of computer readable instructions is initiated . if is determined the placement of course material 14 for the item 18 is not completed , an additional course material 14 placement may proceed at step 114 . following the method 110 , the composite product may be cured in any suitable manner . in the aerospace industry , thermoset resins are generally utilized to pre - impregnate ply material . these thermoset resins are typically cured at an elevated temperature and pressure for a predetermined amount of time . times , pressures , and temperatures may be selected depending on the resin used , the size and thickness of the composite product , and the like . although an example of the end effector 32 is shown being controlled by the robotic vehicles 12 , it will be appreciated that other control systems can be used . in this regard , a gantry system , robotic armature , mandrel , or other such positioning devices that support and control the movement of any suitable end effector are suitable for use with end effector 32 . also , although the mal 10 is useful to place plies for composite products in the airline industry it is also suitable for use in other industries that construct composite product . these industries include , but are not limited to , automobile , marine , spacecraft , building , and consumer products . the many features and advantages of the disclosure are apparent from the detailed specification , and thus , it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the disclosure that fall within the true spirit and scope of the disclosure . further , since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the disclosure . | 1 |
a detailed description will now be given of an embodiment of a communications device according to the present invention , with reference to fig1 through fig3 . fig1 is a system block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention . components identical to those depicted in fig4 are numbered identically and descriptions thereof omitted . it should be noted that the connection switching circuit 101 of the communications device 100 of the present embodiment differs from the communications device shown in fig4 . fig2 is a block diagram of the connection switching circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention . connection switching circuit 101 comprises a first switch 111 and a second switch 112 . the first switch 111 corresponds to the first switch as claimed in the claims , and switches during transmission and reception . in the first switch 111 , the moving contact t 21 is connected to the first antenna 2 , the first fixed contact t 22 is connected to the transmitter circuit 5 and the second fixed contact t 23 is connected to the second switch 112 . the moving contact t 21 of first switch 111 is connected to either the first fixed contact t 22 or the second fixed contact t 23 according to the transmission - reception switching control signal supplied by the signal processing circuit 7 . the second switch 112 corresponds to the second switch as claimed in the claims , and switches in order to select the reception antenna . in the second switch 112 , the moving contact t 31 is connected to the receiver circuit 6 , the first fixed contact t 32 is connected to the second fixed contact t 23 of the first switch 111 and the second fixed contact t 33 is connected to the second antenna 3 . the moving contact t 31 of second switch 112 is connected to either the first fixed contact t 32 or the second fixed contact t 33 according to the antenna switching control signal supplied by the signal processing circuit 7 . the signal processing circuit 7 switches the processing mode to the transmit mode and sets the transmission - reception switching control signal supplied to the first switch 111 to high when the level of the transmission enable signal supplied to the external switching terminal ttx is high and the level of the reception enable signal supplied to the external switching signal is low . when the transmission - reception switching control signal is high , the first switch 111 connects the moving contract t 21 to the first fixed contact t 22 . when the moving contact t 21 is connected to the first fixed contact t 22 , the first antenna 2 is connected to the transmitter circuit 5 via only the first switch . additionally , the signal processing circuit 7 switches the processing mode to the receive mode and sets the transmission - reception switching control signal supplied to the first switch 111 to low when the level of the transmission enable signal supplied to the external switching terminal ttx is low and the level of the reception enable signal supplied to the external switching signal is high . when the transmission - reception switching control signal is low , the first switch 111 connects the moving contact t 21 to the second fixed contact t 23 . when the moving contact t 21 is connected to the second fixed contact t 23 , the first antenna 2 is connected to the first fixed contact t 32 of the second switch 112 via the first switch 111 . when the processing mode changes to the receive mode , the signal processing circuit 7 first inverts the antenna selection signal from high to low . the antenna selection processing signal output from the signal processing circuit 7 is supplied to the second switch 112 . when the antenna selection signal is high , the second switch 112 connects the moving contact t 31 to the first fixed contact t 32 . at this time the transmission - reception switching control signal is at a level low , so the moving contact t 21 of the first switch 111 is connected to the second fixed contact t 23 and the first antenna 2 is connected to the receiver circuit 6 via the first and second switches 111 , 112 . in so doing , the reception signals received at the first antenna 2 are supplied to the signal processing circuit 7 via the receiver circuit 6 . when the antenna selection signal is at a level low , the second switch 112 connects the moving contact t 31 to the second fixed contact t 33 . when the moving contact t 31 of the second switch 112 is connected to the second fixed contact t 33 , the second antenna 3 is connected to the receiver circuit 6 via the second switch 112 . as a result , the reception signals received at the second antenna 3 are supplied to the signal processing circuit 7 via the receiver circuit 6 . the signal processing circuit 7 compares the reception signals supplied by the first antenna 2 and the reception signals supplied by the second antenna 3 and detects the antenna with the higher reception signal strength . when the strength of the reception signals supplied from the first antenna 2 is greater than the strength of the reception signals supplied from the second antenna 3 , the signal processing circuit 7 sets the antenna selection signal to high . when the antenna selection signal is high , the second switch 112 connects the moving contact t 31 to the first fixed contact t 32 . at this time , the transmission - reception switching control signal is at a level low , so the moving contact t 21 of the first switch 111 is connected to the second fixed contact t 23 and the first antenna 2 is connected to the receiver circuit 6 via the first and second switches 111 , 112 . as a result , the reception signals received at the first antenna 2 are supplied to the signal processing circuit 7 via the receiver circuit 6 . when the strength of the reception signals supplied from the second antenna 3 is greater than the strength of the reception signals supplied from the first antenna 2 , the signal processing circuit 7 sets the antenna selection signal to low . when the antenna selection signal is low , the second switch 112 connects the moving contact t 31 to the second fixed contact t 33 . when the moving contact t 31 of the second switch 112 is connected to the second fixed contact t 33 , the second antenna is connected to the receiver circuit 6 via the second switch 112 . as a result , the reception signals received at the second antenna 3 are supplied to the signal processing circuit 7 via the receiver circuit 6 . fig3 is a diagram describing the operation of an embodiment of the present invention , and more specifically , the attenuation of reception and transmission signals caused by the first and second switches 111 , 112 of an embodiment of the present invention . according to the embodiment of the present invention as described above , and as shown in fig3 when transmitting , the first antenna 2 is connected to the transmitter circuit 5 via only the first switch 111 . as a result , the transmission signal output from the transmitter circuit 5 is attenuated by only a single switch and thus signal attenuation can be reduced to a minimum . for example , the attenuation caused by one switch is approximately 1 - 2 db depending on the transmission signal frequency . accordingly , signal attenuation can be reduced by approximately 1 - 2 db compared to the conventional arrangement , in which the signals must pass through two switches . additionally , when receiving as well , when the second antenna 3 is selected the signals received at the second antenna 3 are supplied to the receiver circuit 6 via only the second switch 112 . as a result , the signal is attenuated by only a single switch and thus signal attenuation can be reduced to a minimum . additionally , according to the present invention , simply by changing the connections of the first and second switches 111 , 112 the transmission - reception switching control signal and antenna selection signal can be applied as is , and thus can be easily adapted for use with a conventional communications devices . the above description is provided in order to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention . the present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments , and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . the present application is based on japanese priority application no . 10 - 115516 filed on apr . 24 , 1998 , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference . | 7 |
fig1 is a schematic sectional view of a typical image forming apparatus comprising an image heating apparatus , as a fixing apparatus , in accordance with the present invention , showing the general structure thereof . the image forming apparatus in this embodiment is a color laser beam printer of a tandem type employing one of the electrophotographic processes . designated by referential characters y , m , c , and bk are four image formation stations ( first to fourth stations ) which form toner images corresponding in color to the yellow , magenta , cyan , and black color components of an intended image , respectively , and which are vertically stacked in parallel in the listed order counting from the bottom . the first to fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk comprise electrophotographic photosensitive members ( which hereinafter will be referred to simply as photosensitive drum ) 1 a , 1 b , 1 c , and 1 d , as latent image bearing members , which are rotated at a predetermined process speed in the direction indicated by arrow marks in the drawing ( counterclockwise direction ), primary charging means 2 a , 2 b , 2 c , and 2 d , laser beam based exposing means ( which hereinafter will be referred to as scanner ) 3 a , 3 b , 3 c , and 3 d , developing portions 4 a , 4 b , 4 c , and 4 d , cleaning means 6 a , 6 b , 6 c , and 6 d , etc ., respectively . designated by a referential symbol 9 a is an endless conveying belt as a member for conveying a recording medium while electrostatically holding it . the endless electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a is located on the photosensitive drum side ( front side of printer ) of the set of the vertically stacked first to fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk , being vertically extended from the first to the fourth image forming stations . referential symbols 9 b , 9 c , 9 d , and 9 e designate rollers around which the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a is stretched and suspended . the roller 9 a is a driver roller , and rollers 9 c and 9 d are support rollers . the roller 9 d is a tension roller . the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a is circularly driven by the driver roller 9 b in the direction indicated by an arrow mark in the drawing ( clockwise direction ) at a peripheral velocity matching the peripheral velocities of the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d . designated by referential symbols 5 a , 5 b , 5 c , and 5 d are four transfer rollers ( first to fourth ), which are kept pressed against the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d of the first to fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk , with the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a sandwiched between the transfer rollers 5 a , 5 b , 5 c , and 5 d and photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d , respectively . in the first to fourth image forming stations y , m , c , and bk , the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d are rotationally driven . these photosensitive drums are rotationally driven by an unshown drum motor ( dc servo motor ). however , each photosensitive drum may be provided with its own driving force source . the rotation of the drum motor is controlled by an unshown dsp ( digital signal processor ), whereas the other controls are executed by an unshown cpu . in the first to fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk , the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d are uniformly charged to predetermined polarity and potential level by the primary charging means 2 a - 2 d , respectively , as they are rotated . then , the charged peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d are exposed to four optical images , one for one , by scanners 3 a - 3 d , respectively . as a result , an electrostatic latent image is formed on each of the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d . the electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d are developed by the development stations 4 a - 4 d into images formed of yellow , magenta , cyan , and black toners , which correspond in color to the four color components into which an intended full - color image has been separated by the electrophotographic process ( hereinafter , images formed of toner will be referred to simply as toner images ). as a result , yellow , magenta , cyan , and black toner images are formed on the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d , respectively . meanwhile , multiple pieces of recording medium s ( transfer sheet ) stored in a sheet feeder cassette 8 a located in the bottom portion of the main assembly of the image forming apparatus are sequentially fed , while being separated , into the main assembly , by a sheet feeder roller 8 b , in accordance with a predetermined image formation sequence control timing , and are conveyed to a pair of registration rollers 8 c , which keep the recording mediums s on standby or allow them to be further conveyed to the electrostatic adhesion conveying member 9 a , from the bottom side of the conveying member 9 a , in synchronism with the progression of the image forming operation . as each of the recording mediums s is delivered to the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a , it is electrostatically adhered to the surface of the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a , being thereby securely held thereto , and is conveyed upward as the belt 9 a is circularly driven . as the recording medium s is conveyed upward , yellow , magenta , cyan , and black toner images formed on the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d in the first and fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk are transferred in layers onto the recording medium s in the first and fourth transfer stations , that is , the contact areas between the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d and the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a , respectively . as a result , a single unfixed full - color toner image is synthetically formed . after the transfers of the toner images onto the recording medium s in the first to fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk , the residues such as the toner remaining adhered to the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d are removed by the cleaning means 6 a - 6 d , and then , the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d are used for the following image formation cycle . after being conveyed to the top end of the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a while the toner images are transferred in layers from the four photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d onto the recording medium s , the recording medium s is separated from the surface of the conveying belt 9 a , at the location of the driving roller 9 a , and is further conveyed to a fixing apparatus 10 ( fixing device ), in which the toner images are thermally fixed . thereafter , the recording medium s is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers 10 into a delivery tray 13 . the above described is the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus in the one - sided print mode . when the image forming apparatus is in the two - sided print mode , its operation is as follows . after the separation of the recording medium s , on one surface of which an image has been transferred , it is incompletely discharged by the pair of discharge rollers 10 c , that is , the recording medium s is partially moved out of the apparatus main assembly , up to a point at which the trailing end of the recording medium s will have moved past the two - side print mode sheet guide 10 d . then , the pair of discharge rollers 10 c are rotated in reverse to guide the recording medium s into the two - sided print mode sheet guide 10 d . more specifically , as the pair of discharge rollers 10 c are rotated in reverse , the recording medium s is moved into the sheet guide 10 d , with the former trailing end becoming the leading end , and is guided by the top side of the guide 10 d . then , the recording medium s is guided to a pair of two - sided print mode rollers 14 by a guide rib lla located under an air duct 11 , and a guide rib 12 a located under the control panel 12 . then , it is conveyed downward by the pair of rollers 14 to a pair of two - sided printer mode rollers 15 , is conveyed further downward by the pair of rollers 15 to a pair of two - sided print mode rollers 16 , is conveyed further by the pair of rollers 16 to the pair of registration rollers 8 a along the u - turn guide 17 . then , it is released by the pair of registration rollers 8 c to be delivered to the transfer nips between the photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d and electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a , in synchronism with the progression of the image forming operation in the two - sided print mode . the sequence thereafter is exactly the same as that in the one - sided print mode . fig2 is an enlarged schematic sectional view of the essential portion of the fixing apparatus 10 . this fixing apparatus 10 is a heating apparatus of a film heating and pressure roller driving type ( tensionless ). it employs a cylindrical fixation film ( fixation film in the form of an endless belt ), that is , a flexible member . designated by a referential number 30 is a heating unit comprising the circularly rotatable heating member , and designated by a referential number 20 is a pressure roller , which is an elastic roller . the two are kept pressed against each other , forming a fixation nip n . the pressure roller 20 comprises : a metallic core 21 formed of aluminum or iron ; an elastic layer 22 covering the peripheral surface of the metallic core 21 ; and a mold release layer 23 covering the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 . it is rotatably supported between and by an unshown pair of lateral plates of the apparatus main frame , at the lengthwise end portions of the metallic core 21 , with the interposition of a pair of bearings . it is rotationally driven by an unshown driving system at a predetermined velocity in the direction indicated by an arrow mark in the drawing ( clockwise direction ). the elastic layer 22 is formed of solid silicon rubber , sponge rubber made by foaming the silicon rubber to make the silicon rubber thermally insulative , foamed rubber made by dispersing hollow filler particles in the silicon rubber to make the silicon rubber thermally insulative , or the like . the mold release layer 23 may be formed by coating the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 with fluorinated resin , such as perfluoroalkoxyl resin ( pfa ), polytetrafluoroethylene resin ( ptfe ), and tetrafluoroethylene - hexafluoropropylene resin ( fep ), or gls latex ( registered commercial name : daikin co ., ltd .). it may be in the form of a tube fitted over the elastic layer 22 . it may be formed by coating the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 with mold releasing paint . the heating unit 30 comprises a heating member holder 32 , a heating member 33 , a rigid pressure application stay 34 , a fixation film 31 ( flexible sleeve ), etc . the heating member holder 32 extends in the direction perpendicular to the drawing ( direction intersectional to recording medium conveyance direction ) which is heat resistant , thermally insulative , and rigid . the heating member 33 is firmly attached to the holder 32 by being fitted in the groove of the holder 32 cut in the outwardly facing surface of the holder 32 in the lengthwise direction of the holder 32 . the rigid stay 34 is u - shaped in cross section , and is formed of a metallic substance . it is placed on the inward side of the holder 32 to support the holder 32 . the fixation film 31 is loosely fitted around the assembly of the heating member holder 32 , heating member 33 , and rigid stay 34 . in the case of the fixing apparatus 10 in this embodiment , the lengthwise ends of the metallic core 21 of the pressure roller 20 are rotatably supported by the pair of lateral plates of the apparatus main assembly frame , with the interposition of the pair of bearings , so that the pressure roller 20 is rotatably supported between the pair of lateral plates . the heating unit 30 is placed on the left side , in fig2 , of the pressure roller 20 , in parallel to the pressure roller 20 , so that the heating member 33 of the heating unit 30 faces the pressure roller 20 . the lengthwise end portions of the rigid pressure application stay 34 are kept pressured toward the pressure roller 2 by an unshown pressure applying means , such as a pair of springs , so that the rigid pressure application stay 34 is kept pressured against the elastic layer 22 of the pressure roller 20 by a predetermined amount of pressure f . as a result , the elastic layer 22 of the pressure roller 20 is kept compressed , on the left - hand side thereof , by a predetermined thickness in the radius direction of the pressure roller 20 by the combination of the heating member 33 and heating member holder 32 , with the fixation film 31 remaining pinched between the combination of the heating member 33 and heating member holder 32 , and the pressure roller 22 , forming thereby the fixation nip n . as the pressure roller 20 is rotationally driven , the torque from the rotational driving of the pressure roller 20 is transmitted to the cylindrical fixation film 31 . as a result , the fixation film 31 is rotated around the assembly of the heating member holder 32 , heating member 33 , and rigid pressure application stay 34 , in the direction indicated by an arrow mark in the drawing ( clockwise direction ), with the fixation film 31 sliding on the heating member holder 32 and heating member 33 in such a manner that the inward surface of the fixation film 31 remains perfectly in contact with the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating member holder 32 and heating member 33 . as the pressure roller 20 is rotationally driven , and the cylindrical fixation film 31 is rotationally driven by the pressure roller 20 , power is supplied to the heating member 33 to raise the temperature of the heating member 33 to a predetermined temperature level , and maintain it at the predetermined temperature level . as the temperature of the heating member 33 is maintained at the predetermined temperature level , the recording medium s bearing an unfixed toner image t is introduced info the fixation nip n , that is , the interface between the heating unit 30 ( fixation film 31 ) and pressure roller 20 , and is conveyed through the fixation nip n , with the recording medium s pinched between the fixation film 31 and pressure roller 20 so that the toner image bearing surface of the recording medium s is kept perfectly in contact with the outwardly facing surface of the fixation film 31 . while the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n as described above , the heat from the heating member 33 is given to the recording medium s through the fixation film 31 . as a result , the unfixed toner image t on the recording medium s is welded ( fixed ) to the recording medium s by heat and pressure . after being conveyed through the fixation nip n , the recording medium s becomes separated from the fixation film 31 due to the curvature of the cylindrical fixation film 31 . the fixation film 31 ( flexible member ) comprises a substrate layer formed of heat resistant and heat insulating film of resin , such as polyamide , polyamide - imide , peek , pes , pps , pfa , ptfe , fep , etc ., and a surface layer formed of a single or mixture of heat resistant resins , such as pfa , ptfe , fep , silicone resin , etc ., superior in mold releasing properties . the heating member holder 32 is formed of resin such as liquid polymer , phenol resin , pps , peek , etc ., which are heat resistant and slippery . fig3 is a schematic drawing of the heating member 33 in this embodiment , showing the structure thereof . this heating member 33 is a low heat capacity ceramic heater , which generates heat at its top surface . it basically comprises a substrate , a heat generating resistive layer , a dielectric layer , and power supply electrodes . the substrate is formed of dielectric ceramics such as alumina or aluminum nitride , or heat resistant resin such as polyimide , pps or liquid polymer . the heat generating resistive layer is a line or narrow strip of ag / pd , ruo 2 , ta 2 n , etc ., formed on the surface of the substrate . it generates heat as electric current is flowed through it . it is coated on the surface of the substrate with the use of such a means as screen printing , and baked . the dielectric layer is a layer of glass or the like coated over the combination of the substrate and heat generating resistive layer . the power supply electrodes are electrically connected to the heat generating resistive layer , and voltage is applied to the power supply electrodes from a power supply circuit through a power supply connector . 1 . substrate 33 a which is a piece of thin , narrow , and flat plate of al 2 o 3 , ain , or the like , and extends in the direction parallel to the direction intersectional ( perpendicular ) to the direction in which a recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n ; 2 . two parallel strips of heat generating resistive layer 33 b , which are roughly 10 μm thick and 1 - 5 mm wide , extending in the direction parallel to the lengthwise direction of the substrate 33 b , are formed on the top surface of the substrate 33 a , of electrically resistive substance such as ag / pd , with the use of a method in which the electrically resistive substance is coated in a predetermined pattern on the substrate 33 b by screen printing or the like , and is baked ; 3 . first and second power supply electrodes 33 d and 33 e formed on the substrate , being electrically connected to the two parallel strips of heat generating layer 33 b , one for one , at one of the lengthwise ends of the substrate 33 a ; 4 . electrically conductive portion 33 f formed , by patterning , on the substrate 33 a to electrically connect in series the two parallel strips of heat generating resistive layer 33 b , at the other lengthwise end of the substrate 33 a ; 5 . first and second temperature control output electrodes 33 g and 33 h formed on the substrate 33 a by patterning , being located outward side of the electrically conductive portion 33 f in terms of the lengthwise direction of the substrate 33 a ; 6 . a thin ( roughly 10 μm thick ) protective layer 33 c formed on the substrate 33 a , by patterning , in a manner to cover the combination of the heat generating resistive layer and electrically conductive portion 33 f , along with the surface of the substrate 33 a ; 7 . a temperature detection element 51 , such as a thermistor , placed on the back ( rear ) side of the substrate 33 a , in contact with the center portion , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the substrate 33 a , of the rear ( back ) surface of the substrate 33 a ; 8 . first and second electrically conductive portions 33 i and 33 j formed on the back ( rear ) surface of the substrate 33 a by patterning , being electrically connected to the temperature detection element 51 ; 9 . through holes 33 k and 33 l formed through the substrate 33 a so that the first and second electrically conductive portions 33 i and 33 j on the back ( rear ) surface of the substrate 33 a can be electrically connected to the first and second temperature control output electrodes 33 g and 33 h , respectively , on the outward surface of the substrate 33 a ; this heating member 33 is firmly embedded , in a manner of being inlayed , in the groove formed in the outward surface of the heating member holder 32 so that the top surface of the heating member 33 ( top surface of substrate 33 a which bears heat generating resistive layer 33 b and protective glass layer 33 c ) faces outward to be placed in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film 31 . designated by a referential number 52 is a thermo - protector such as a thermal fuse , thermo - switch , or the like , which is placed on the back ( rear ) side of the substrate 33 a , with its heat collector plate 52 a placed in contact with a predetermined portion of the back surface of the heating member 33 . designated by a referential number 52 is a power supply connector , which is attached to one of the lengthwise end portions of the substrate 33 a having the first and second power supply electrodes 33 d and 33 e of the heating member 33 firmly held to the heating member holder 32 , electrically connecting the power supply electrodes 33 d and 33 e to the electrical contacts of the power supply connector 53 . designated by a referential number 54 is a temperature control connector , which is attached to the other lengthwise end of the heating member 33 having the first and second temperature control output electrodes 33 g and 33 h , electrically connecting the temperature control output electrodes 33 g and 33 h to the electrical contacts of the temperature control connector 54 . referential numbers 55 , 56 , and 57 designate an ac power source , a control circuit ( cpu ), and a triac ( triode ac switch ). the heating member 33 is supplied with electric power by the ac power source 55 through the power supply connector 53 , first and second power supply electrodes 33 d and 33 e ; more specifically , power is supplied to the heat generating resistive layer 33 b . as a result , heat is generated across the entirety of the heat generating resistive layer 33 b , very quickly raising the temperature of the heating member 33 . the temperature increase of the heating member 33 is detected by the temperature detection element 51 , and the information , in the form of electrical signal , regarding the detected temperature is inputted into the control circuit 56 through the first and second electrically conductive portions 33 i and 33 j , electrically conductive walls of the through holes 33 k and 33 l , first and second temperature control output electrodes 33 g and 33 h , and temperature control connector 54 . the control circuit 56 controls the triac 57 in response to the inputted information regarding the detected temperature of the heating member 33 ; it keeps the temperature of the heating member 33 at a predetermined fixation temperature by controlling the phase , wave count , etc ., of the electric power supplied to the heat generating layer 33 b of the heating member from the ac power source 55 . the thermo - protector 52 located on the back side of the heating member 33 , with its heat collector plate 52 a kept in contact with the back side of the heating member 33 , is serially inserted in the circuit for supplying electric power to the heat generating resistive layer 33 b of the heating member 33 . thus , if the heating member 33 overheats , that is , the temperature of the heating member 33 exceeds the allowable level , because the power supply to the heat generating resistive layer 33 b of the heating member 33 from the power source 55 become uncontrollable , and therefore , the heat generating layer is continuously supplied with power , because of some problem occurring to the control circuit 56 , triac 57 , etc ., the thermo - protector is melted by the heat from the heating member 33 , breaking thereby the power supply circuit , and therefore , forcefully shutting down the power supply to the heat generating resistive layer 33 b for safety . the structural arrangement for controlling the temperature of the heating member 33 does not need to be limited to the above described one . for example , it may be such that the temperature level at which the surface temperature of the fixation film 31 needs to be for fixing the toner image t on the recording medium s , in the fixation nip n , is set as the target temperature for the surface of the fixation film 31 , and the amount by which electric power is supplied to the heat generating resistive layer 33 b of the heating member 33 is controlled according to the surface temperature level of the fixation film 31 detected by the unshown temperature detecting means such as a thermistor disposed so that it remains in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film 31 , at an optional point within the range of the fixation nip n , in order to keep the surface temperature of the fixation film 31 at the target temperature . the substrate of the heating member 33 is formed of dielectric ceramic such as alumina or aluminum nitride , heat resistant resin such as polyimide , pps , or liquid polymer , or the like . therefore , the heating member 33 can be simplified in shape ; for example , it can be made thin and flat . fig4 is a schematic sectional view of the fixation nip n of the fixing apparatus 10 in this embodiment , depicting the structure thereof . incidentally , in fig2 , the fixation nip n of the fixing apparatus is oriented so that a recording medium s is vertically fed into the fixation nip n . in fig4 , however , for ease of description , the fixation nip n is oriented so that the recording medium s is horizontally fed into the fixation nip n . the gist of the present invention is as follows . a fixing apparatus is structured so that as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , the amount of the pressure which applies to a given point of the recording member s reaches its peak with virtually no decline between the recording medium entrance ( upstream end in terms of recording medium conveyance direction ) of the fixation nip n and the peak pressure point in the fixation nip n , that is , the point at which the amount of pressure which applies to the recording medium s is highest in the fixation nip n . further , the heating member is located on the upstream side of the peak pressure point of the fixation nip n , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . looking at the fixation nip n and its adjacencies in this embodiment from the direction parallel to the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n , the line c 1 , which is perpendicular to the flat portion a of the recording medium pressing portion of the fixation film guiding ( contacting ) slippery surface of the heating unit 30 , made up of the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating member 33 in the form of a piece of thin plate ( which hereinafter may be referred to as heating plate 33 ) and heating member holder 32 , and which coincides with the center of the portion a , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , is on the upstream side of the line c 2 ( hypothetical line parallel to line c 1 ), which coincides with the rotational axis of the pressure roller ; it is on the recording medium entrance side of the line c 2 . in other words , the heating member , heating member holder , and pressure roller are positioned so that the hypothetical line , which is perpendicular to the surface of the heating member , which is in contact with the fixation film , and coincides with the center of the heating member in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , is on the upstream side of the rotational axis of the pressure roller in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . with the employment of this structural arrangement , the upstream end j of the flat portion a of the fixation film guiding slippery surface of the heating unit , made up of the outward surface of the heating plate 33 and the outward surface of the heating member holder 32 is on the upstream side of the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , and the downstream end k of the flat portion a of the fixation film guiding slippery surface of the heating unit 30 , made up of the outward surface of the heating plate 33 is within the fixation nip n . the heating unit 30 is kept pressed against the pressure roller 20 , with the fixation film 31 pinched between the heating unit 30 and pressure roller 20 . further , as described above , the fixation film 31 pinched by the pressure roller 20 and the combination of the heating member holder 32 and heating plate 33 is circularly moved around the combination of the heating member holder 32 and rigid pressure application stay 34 by the rotation of the pressure roller 20 . also with the employment of the above described structural arrangement , the portion b is created , as a part of the fixation nip n , which extends from the downstream end k of the recording medium pressing flat portion a to the recording medium ext of the fixation nip n , and in which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n sharply reduces toward the recording medium exit . as described above , in the sectional view of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , perpendicular to the rotational axis of the heating unit 30 , the line c 1 perpendicular to the aforementioned flat portion a and coinciding with the center of the flat portion a in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction sf , is on the upstream side , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction sf , that is , on the recording medium entrance side , of the line c 2 perpendicular to the flat portion a and coinciding with the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 . further , the upstream end j of the recording medium pressing slippery surface made up of the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating plate 33 and heating plate holding member 32 is outside the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n . with the provision of this structural arrangement , the pressure distribution within the fixation nip n becomes such that the closer to the downstream end k of the portion a of the recording medium guiding ( pressing ) surface of the heating unit 30 , the higher the amount of pressure which applies to the recording medium s as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n while being heated by the heating plate 33 . at this time , the various phenomena which occur in the fixation nip n in this embodiment will be described . first , referring to fig5 ( b ), the pressure distribution in the fixation nip n will be described . as will be evident from fig5 ( b ), the pressure distribution in the fixation nip n in this embodiment is such that as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , the amount of the pressure which applies to the recording medium s begins to increase shortly after the recording medium s is moved into the fixation nip n , and continuously increases to its peak with virtually no decrease . then , as the recording medium s is moved past the peak pressure point k in the fixation nip n , the pressure which applies to the recording medium s begins to decrease , and steeply decreases to virtually zero by the time the recording medium s reaches the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n . in order to realize this pressure distribution , the fixing apparatus in this embodiment is structured to position its heating member , heating member holder , and pressure roller so that the upstream end j of the portion a of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating unit 30 is on the upstream of the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n ( outside fixation nip n ), and the hypothetical line ( c 1 in fig4 ) perpendicular to the flat surface of the heating member substrate which contacts the fixation film , and coinciding with the center of the flat surface in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , is on the upstream of the rotational axis of the pressure roller , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . to describe in more detail , the upstream end j of the portion a of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating unit is located on the upstream of the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n ( outside fixation nip ), and the downstream end k roughly coincides with the intersection of the hypothetical plane h connecting the upstream and downstream ends j and k of the portion a of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating unit , and the hypothetical plane v perpendicular to the hypothetical plane h and coinciding with the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 ( distance from hypothetical plane v to downstream end k is virtually zero ), as shown in fig6 - 1 . with the provision of the above described positional arrangement , the amount of the invasion of the portion a of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating unit into the pressure roller 20 between the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n and the downstream end k of the portion a of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating unit is such that the closer to the point k , the greater the amount of the invasion ; in other words , the relationship between the amount of the invasion and the distance from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n is roughly linear , and is maximum at the point k . therefore , as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s by the fixation nip n begins to increase at the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , and roughly linearly increases until the recording medium s reaches the downstream end k of the portion a of the fixing film pressing surface of the heating unit past the center of the fixation nip n ( center between recording medium entrance to exit ), reaching its peak at the point k . also in this embodiment , the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit ( heating member ) is provided with the second portion b , which is the portion between the downstream end k of the portion a and the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , and is virtually flat . therefore , the amount of the invasion of the heating unit into the pressure roller 20 between the downstream end k of the portion a and the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n is such that the closer to the exit , the smaller the amount of the invasion , and the relationship between the distance from the point k to a given point in this range , and the amount of the invasion is roughly linear . therefore , as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s by the fixation nip n begins to decrease at the downstream end k of the portion a , and steeply decreases until it falls to virtually zero at the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n . further , the temperature distribution in the fixation nip n is as represented by line 1 in fig5 ( a ). as for the temperature distribution of the fixation nip n , the portion of the fixation nip n , which extends from the recording medium entrance to the area immediately before the downstream end k of the portion a , via the center of the fixation nip n , is heated by the heating plate 33 , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n linearly increases toward the area immediately before the downstream end k . since the heating plate 33 is on the upstream of the downstream end k of the portion a , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , in the fixation nip n , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n reaches the predetermined temperature level before the point k . further , no heat source ( heating plate 33 ) is on the downstream side of the point k , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . therefore , after the downstream end k , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n remains roughly the same toward the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n . it is reasonable to think that as the combination of the recording medium s and the unfixed toner image on the recording medium is moved through the fixation nip n while pressure and heat is applied to the toner as described above , the toner image on the recording medium s is melted as described next with reference to fig7 , and 25 , which show the changes in physical form of the toner in the fixation nip n in this embodiment . fig2 shows in detail the actual structure of the essential portion of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , and fig2 shows the progression of the fixation process , in terms of the physical form of the toner , in the fixation apparatus shown in fig2 . in fig2 , paper thickness , toner particle diameter , etc ., are exaggerated . first , it is thought that prior to the entry into the fixation nip n of the fixing apparatus 10 , the state of the toner layer ( toner image t ) on the recording medium s is as depicted in the area in fig7 , or as depicted in fig2 . in other words , there are four layers of toner images t having been sequentially transferred in layers onto the recording medium s from the four photosensitive drums 1 a - 1 d . when the toner images t were transferred onto the recording medium s , they were not transferred so that no gap was left between the adjacent two toner layers ( toner images t ). in other words , there are a certain number of minute pockets of air between the adjacent two toner layers ( toner images t ). while the recording medium s is conveyed from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n to the downstream end k of the portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit , the amount of the heat applied to the toner layers on the recording medium s by the fixing nip n linearly increases as represented by line 1 in fig5 , and the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s by the fixation nip n roughly linearly increases as shown in fig5 ( b ). therefore , while the recording medium s is conveyed from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n to the downstream end k of the portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit , the toner layers on the recording medium s gradually melt , while remaining in contact with the fixation film 31 , as shown in the area 2 in fig7 , and fig2 . while the toner layers melt , the minute pockets of air in the toner layers gradually expand in the melting toner layers . by the time a given portion of the recording medium s reaches the downstream end k , the toner layers thereon are thoroughly melted by the heat from the heating plate 33 . referring to fig5 ( b ), the amount of the pressure applied to the toner layers on the recording medium s by the fixation nip n is highest at the downstream end k . further , while the recording medium s is conveyed from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n to the point k , or the point at which the fixation nip pressure is highest , the amount of the pressure applied to the toner layers on the recording medium s continuously increases , that is , with virtually no decrease , keeping thereby the toner layers on the recording medium s perfectly in contact with the fixation film , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n . therefore , by the time the recording medium s is conveyed to the point k , or the point at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , the toner layers are thoroughly melted . then , as the recording medium s is moved past the downstream end k , the melted toner layers are uniformly squeezed in terms of the lengthwise direction of the downstream end k . as a result , the pockets of air in the toner layers are completely squeezed out of the toner layers by the squeezing function of the downstream end k as shown in the area 3 in fig7 , and fig2 . in other words , there remains no pockets of air in the portions of the toner layers having been moved past the downstream end k . in comparison , if the fixation nip n has an area in which the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s is smaller than that applied in the immediately upstream area thereof , and which is located on the upstream side of the maximum pressure point k , this area prevents the toner layers from being satisfactorily melted . as a result , the toner layers fail to be satisfactorily squeezed to purge the pockets of air therein , at the downstream end k of the portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit . while the recording medium s is conveyed from the downstream end k to the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , the temperature level of the toner layers remains roughly the same , as represented by line 1 in fig5 ( a ), whereas the amount of the pressure applied to the toner layers steeply falls as shown in fig5 ( b ). therefore , the toner layers are more uniformly melted , while maintaining a certain degree of elasticity , and being subjected to the small amount of pressure , as shown in area 4 in fig2 . since the temperature of the toner layers remains roughly the same while the recording medium s is conveyed from the downstream end k to the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , the toner layers still maintain a certain level of elasticity at the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n . therefore , the toner layers can be smoothly separated from the fixation film 31 . also , while the recording medium s is conveyed from the downstream end k to the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , it is kept pressed , along with the fixation film 31 , against the second portion b of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit , on the downstream side of the downstream end k . therefore , the curvature given to the recording medium s at the downstream end k in the fixation nip n is properly removed . in addition , the fixation film 31 is pulled in the direction in which it is circularly moved . therefore , the recording medium s cleanly separates from the fixation film 31 ; it does not remain wrapped around the fixation film 31 . through the above described process , the toner layers on the recording medium s are fixed to the recording medium s , turning into an image which is highly glossy , and also , uniform in the other surface properties . thereafter , the recording medium s is outputted from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus . as will be evident from the description of the structure of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , the employment of the above described structural arrangement for the fixing apparatus affords more latitude in the setting of a fixing apparatus regarding hot offset , making it possible to output a permanent copy of an intended image , which does not suffer from hot offset , is superior in glossiness , is uniform in surface properties , and does not curl or remain adhered to the fixation film . incidentally , the application of the present invention is not limited to a fixing apparatus such as the fixing apparatus in this embodiment in which there is no difference in elevation between the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 and the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate holder 32 . in other words , all that is necessary is that there is virtually no area , between the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 and the point k ( at which internal pressure of fixation nip is highest ), in which the amount of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is smaller than that in the immediately upstream area thereof . in other words , the structure for a fixing apparatus may be such that the downstream end of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , is slightly lower in elevation than the portion of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating member holder , next to the downstream end of the heating plate 33 , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . the studies made by the inventors of the present invention revealed that as long as the difference in elevation between the downstream end of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 and the upstream end of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating plate holder , next to the downstream end of the heating plate 33 , is no more than 100 μm , the effect of the reduction in the internal pressure of the fixation nip n caused by this difference in elevation is negligible . further , the structure of a fixing apparatus may be such that the downstream end of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , is slightly higher in elevation than the upstream end of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating plate holder , immediately after the heating plate 33 , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . in such a case , the downstream end of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction is where the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . however , if the point at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest coincides with the downstream end of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , the inward surface of the fixation film is shaved by the edge of the heating plate 33 . therefore , the structure of a fixing apparatus is desired to such that the point at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest is created by the heater holder 32 . further , even if there is a slight gap ( in terms of recording medium conveyance direction ) between the downstream end of the heating plate 33 and the upstream wall of the recess of the heater holder 32 , in which the heating plate 33 is embedded , it does not matter . the studies made by the inventors of the present invention revealed that as long as this gap is no more than 300 μm , the pressure reduction caused by this gap is virtually negligible . according to the above described structure of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , the upstream end j of the recording medium pressing portion a of the fixing film pressing slippery surface of the heating unit is on the upstream side of the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . however , the upstream end j of the recording medium pressing portion a made up of the outward surfaces of the heating plate 33 and heating plate holder 32 has only to coincide with the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , or on the upstream side the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n . the employment of the above described structure which makes the end j coincide with the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , or be on the upstream side of the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , makes it possible to make the other end k coincide with the point in the fixation nip n at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , and also , make the internal pressure of the fixation nip n drastically lower on the upstream side of the downstream end k than on the upstream side of the downstream end k . therefore , the toner layers are very effectively squeezed at the downstream end k ; in other words , the effects of the present invention are fully realized . if the end j of the recording medium pressing portion a made up of the outward surfaces of the heating plate 33 and heating plate holder 32 is in the fixation nip n , the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is higher at the point coinciding with the upstream end j of the portion a than that in the adjacencies of that point , making less drastic the difference in the internal pressure between the portion of the fixation nip n on the immediately upstream side of the end k and the portion of the fixation nip n on the immediately downstream side of the end k . therefore , the portion of the fixation nip n corresponding in position to the downstream end k of the recording medium pressing portion a fails to apply high pressure while the toner is in the thoroughly melted state ; in other words , the effects of the present invention cannot be realized . however , a fixing apparatus may be structured so that the upstream end j is located inward of the fixation nip n , as long as the amount of the reduction in the difference in the internal pressure between the portion of the fixation nip n on the immediately upstream side of the downstream end k and the portion of the fixation nip n on the immediately downstream side of the downstream end k , which is caused by the structural arrangement which places the upstream end j in the fixation nip n , is virtually negligible . further , as described above , the fixing apparatus in this embodiment is structured so that the downstream end k roughly coincides with the intersection of the hypothetical plane h connecting the upstream and downstream ends j and k of the recording medium pressing portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit , and the hypothetical plane v perpendicular to the hypothetical plane h and coinciding with the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 ( distance from hypothetical plane v to downstream end k is virtually zero ), as shown in fig6 - 1 . with the provision of this positional arrangement , the amount of the invasion of the recording medium pressing portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit into the pressure roller 20 between the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n and the downstream end k of the portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit is such that the closer to the point k , the greater the amount of the invasion ; in other words , the relationship between the amount of the invasion and the distance from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n is roughly linear , and the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is maximum at the point k . however , the employment of the structural arrangement , in this embodiment , for a fixing apparatus is not mandatory to make the internal pressure of the fixation nip n highest at the downstream end k . in other words , one of the essential aspects of the present invention is the manner in which , and the distance by which , the heating unit , more specifically , the downstream end k , is made to invade into the pressure roller 20 . if the fixing apparatus is structured so that the downstream end k deviates upstream , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , by a substantial distance from the normal position of the downstream end k in this embodiment ( position in fig6 - 1 ), the distribution of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n becomes as shown in fig6 - 2 . that is , the distribution curve of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n remains definitely sharp , but the distance from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n to the point of the fixation nip n ( downstream end k ) at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , becomes shorter , reducing the size of the heating portion of the fixation nip n . on the other hand , if the fixing apparatus is structured so that the downstream end k deviates downstream , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , by a substantial distance , from the normal position of the downstream end k in this embodiment , the distribution of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n becomes as shown in fig6 - 3 . that is , the distribution curve of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n becomes dull , making the present invention less effective . thus , the present invention requires a fixing apparatus to be structured to satisfy the following conditions , which will be described with reference to fig8 , in which a referential letter h designates the hypothetical plane coinciding with the slippery outward surface of the heating plate 33 ; a referential letter v designates the hypothetical plane perpendicular to the plane h and coinciding with the rotational axis of the pressure roller ; and a referential letter l stands for the distance between the line perpendicular to the plane h and coinciding with the intersection of the plane h and the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 20 ( fig8 shows only the distance l on the upstream side of the plane v in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction ; the distance l is present on the downstream side of the plane v ). all that is necessary for the present invention to be effective is that a fixing apparatus is structured so that the downstream end k is positioned in the hatched area m in fig8 ; in other words , it is positioned upstream of the plane v , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , and the distance between the downstream end k and the plane v is no more than “ half of the distance l ”, preferably , no more than “ one third of the length l ”, more preferably , no more than “ one quarter of the length l ”. the hatched portion m in fig8 represents the area in which the distance between the downstream end k and the plane v is no more than “ one third of the length l on the upstream side of the plane v ”, and the area in which the distance between the downstream end k and the plane v is no more than “ one quarter of the length l on the downstream side of the plane v ”, in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . to describe in more detail the above described conditions with reference to fig8 , the referential letter l stands for the distance between the plane v to the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , in the sectional view of the fixation nip n at the plane h . the portion of the borderline of the hatched area m , on the upstream side of the plane v , is where the distance from the plane v is roughly one third of l , whereas the portion of the borderline of the hatched area m , on the downstream side of the plane v , is where the distance from the plane v is roughly one quarter of l . in other words , as the amount by which the heating unit is made to invade into the pressure roller ( as plane h shifts upward in fig8 ) is reduced , the distance l reduces , reducing thereby the size of the hatched area m . on the other hand , as the amount by which the heating unit is made to invade into the pressure roller ( as plane h shifts downward in fig8 ) is increased , the distance l increases , increasing thereby the size of the hatched area m . therefore , the borderline of the hatched area m curves . further , since the proper range for the position of the downstream end k , on the downstream side of the plane v , in fig8 , is no more than one quarter of the distance l from the plane v , being different from that on the upstream side , that is , no more than one third of the distance l . therefore , the portion of the curved borderline of the area m , on the upstream side of the plane v , is slightly different from that on the downstream side of the plane v . however , the proper range for the position of the downstream end k , on the downstream side of the plane v , may extend as far as one half of the distance l , as described above . the reason for the inward curvature of the bottom portion of the borderline of the hatched area m is as follows . that is , if the heating unit is made to invade into the pressure roller by an amount greater than a certain value , even the upstream end j of the recording medium pressing portion a is made to invade into the pressure roller , although the position of the downstream end k still satisfies the condition that the distance of the downstream end k from the plane v must be no more than { fraction ( 1 / 3 )} and { fraction ( 1 / 4 )} of the distances l , on the upstream and downstream sides of the plane v , respectively . therefore , such an area must be eliminated from the proper area for the placement of the downstream end k , and the elimination of such an area causes the borderline of the hatched area m to inwardly curve . further , in the above described embodiment of the present invention , the first recording medium pressing portion a , that is , the portion of fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating member , from the upstream end j of the recording medium pressing portion of the fixation film pressing slippery surface made up of the outward surfaces of the heating plate 33 and heating plate holder 32 , to the point ( downstream end k of first portion a ), at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , was defined as a flat surface . however , all that is necessary is that the first recording medium pressing slippery portion a is configured so that the closer to the downstream end k , the higher the fixation pressure . in other words , all that is necessary is that the portion a does not curve upward relative to the plane h coinciding with the upstream j of the recording medium pressing portion of the fixation film pressing slippery surface made up of the outward surfaces of the heating plate 33 and heating member holder 32 , and the line ( downstream end k ) at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest ; the portion a may curve slightly downward . as long as the first recording medium pressing portion a is flat or curves downward as shown in fig9 ( 1 ) and 9 ( 2 ), the distribution of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n across the first portion a becomes such that the closer to the downstream end of the first portion a , the higher the internal pressure . therefore , there is no area in the portion of the fixation nip n , corresponding to the first portion a , in which the amount of the pressure which applies to the recording medium s is less than that which applies to the recording medium s in the immediately preceding area in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . therefore , as the combination of the recording medium s and toner images thereon is conveyed through this portion of the fixation nip n , it is kept perfectly in contact with the fixation film , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n , being thereby uniformly squeezed in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n . as a result , the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which an image is outputted improves . if the first recording medium pressing portion a curves toward the heating unit as shown in fig9 ( 3 ), the fixation pressure of the fixation nip n is lower in the area p . therefore , while the recording medium s is conveyed through this area p , the combination of the recording medium s and the toner images thereon cannot be perfectly in contact with the fixation film , being therefore unevenly squeezed in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n . as a result , the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which an image is outputted falls . further , in the above described embodiment of the present invention , the structure of the portion of the fixation nip n after the downstream end k , at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , in other words , the structure of the recording medium pressing portion b , is such that the entirety of the portion b was flat . however , it is not mandatory that the entirety of the portion b is flat . for example , the portion b may curve inward of the heating unit as shown in fig1 - 12 , 24 , and 25 , for the following reason . that is , even if the portion b curves inward of the heating unit , the recording medium s is kept pressed , along the fixation film s , against the portion b by the pressure roller 20 , being thereby made to conform to the inward curvature of the portion b , being thereby prevented from curving toward the fixation film . in addition , the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n is preceded , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , by the inward curvature of the recording medium pressing portion b . therefore , as the fixation film 31 is pulled to be circularly rotated around the heating unit , the recording medium s more smoothly separates from the fixation film s . in other words , making the recording medium pressing portion b slightly inwardly curve does not adversely affect the present invention . incidentally , the fixation nips n in fig1 - 12 are the same as those in fig4 , and 7 , except for the inward curving of the recording medium pressing portion b , and therefore , will not be described here . the heating plate 33 and heating member holder 32 , the outwardly facing surfaces of which make up the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit , are rigid members , making it easier to structurally control the amount of the pressure f applied by them . fig1 is a schematic sectional view of the essential portion of the first example of a fixing apparatus comparable to that in the first embodiment . fig1 is an external perspective view of the heating member of the first example of a fixing apparatus comparable to that in the first embodiment . the structural members and portions of this fixing apparatus identical to those in the first embodiment will be given referential symbols identical to those in the first embodiment , and will not be described here . the difference between the first example of a fixing apparatus comparable to the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment and the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment is that the heating member in this example of a fixing apparatus is wide enough , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , to extend downstream beyond the downstream end k , at which the fixation pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . otherwise , the two fixing apparatuses are the same in structure . here , referring to the temperature and pressure distributions of the fixation nip n in fig5 , the difference between the first example of a fixing apparatus comparable to the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment , and the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment , will be described . the difference between the first comparative example and first embodiment is that the heating member in this example of a fixing apparatus is wide enough , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , to extend downstream beyond the downstream end k , at which the fixation pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . otherwise , the two fixing apparatuses are the same in structure . therefore , the distribution of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n in this example , is the same as that in the first embodiment shown in fig5 ( b ). in this comparative example , however , the heating member 33 is wide enough , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , to make contact with the fixation film 31 across virtually the entire range of the fixation nip n in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . therefore , heat is generated across virtually the entire range of the fixation nip n in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . therefore , the temperature curve ( distribution ) in the fixation nip n does not become one such as the one in the first embodiment , represented by line 1 in fig5 ( a ), that the point at which the internal temperature ( fixation temperature ) of the fixation nip n becomes optimal for fixation is on the immediately upstream side of the point ( downstream end k of recording medium pressing portion a ) at which the internal pressure ( fixation pressure ) of the fixation nip n is highest . in this first comparative example , therefore , even if the target temperature ( fixation temperature ) of the heating member is set to a level slightly below the level at or above which hot offset occurs , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n becomes highest on the downstream side of the downstream end k , at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction ( line 2 in fig5 ( a )). therefore , the toner on the recording medium s cannot be thoroughly melted by the time the recording medium s reaches the point k , at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . therefore , the minute pockets of air cannot be effectively squeezed out of the toner layers . as a result , the toner layers ( toner images ) cannot be uniformly fixed in terms of surface properties , in particular , glossiness ; an outputted image is not as glossy as the one outputted from the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment . on the other hand , if the target temperature level of the fixation apparatus in this example is set so that the internal temperature of the fixation nip n thereof at the point k , at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , becomes the same as that in the first embodiment ( line 3 in fig5 ( a )), the toner on the recording medium s will have been overheated by the time the recording medium s reaches the adjacencies of the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , because , in the case of the fixation apparatus structure in this comparative example , the combination of the recording medium and the toner image thereon is continuously heated by the heating member 33 even after the combination is conveyed past the point k at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . therefore , the elasticity of the toner layers at the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n in this comparative example is lower than that in the first embodiment . as a result , hot offset occurs . in other words , if a fixing apparatus is structured so that heating occurs throughout the fixation nip n as it does in the first comparative example , it becomes impossible to realize the effect of the present invention . this is why in the first embodiment , the heating member is disposed so that , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , the downstream end of the heating member is positioned on the upstream side of the point at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . fig1 is a schematic sectional view of the second fixing apparatus comparable to that in the first embodiment . the structural members and portions of this fixing apparatus identical to those in the first embodiment will be given referential symbols identical to those in the first embodiment , and will not be described here . the difference between this second comparative example of a fixing apparatus and the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment is that the portion of the heating member holder in this example of a fixing apparatus , on the downstream side of the heating member , is made to substantially ( by no less than 100 μm ) project inward of the pressure roller . otherwise , the structure of this example of a fixing apparatus comparable to that in the first embodiment is the same as the structure of that in the first embodiment . next , referring to fig1 , the difference between the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment and this example of a fixing apparatus comparable to the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment will be described . it is feasible to place a rib - like member in the fixation nip n to locally increase the internal pressure of the fixation nip n in order to enhance the effect of the present invention that the pockets of air are squeezed out of the toner layers , in the fixation nip n . definitely , providing the fixation nip n with a point at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is higher than its adjacencies assures that a glossier image is yielded . however , with the presence of an area such as the area p in fig1 , in which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is lower than the immediately preceding area in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium and the toner layers thereon by the fixation nip n temporarily reduces immediately before it becomes highest . therefore , while the combination of the recording medium and the toner layers thereon is conveyed through this area like the area p , the contact between the combination of the recording medium s and the toner layers thereon and the fixation film becomes nonuniform , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n . therefore , the heat transmission from the fixation film to the toner on the recording medium s becomes insufficient . therefore , the toner fails to melt enough to achieve the level of viscosity necessary to allow the pockets of air to be squeezed out of the toner . as a result , a substantial number of pockets of air remain in the toner . in addition , the presence , in the fixation nip n , of the area in which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is lower than the immediately preceding area in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction makes nonuniform , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n , the contact between the fixation film 31 and the toner t on the recording medium s . as a result , the fixation nip n becomes nonuniform , in terms of its lengthwise direction , in the effect of squeezing the pocket of air out of the toner t , making the fixing apparatus inferior in the uniformity of the surface properties , in particular , glossiness , of an image outputted from the fixing apparatus ; an image which is nonuniform in glossiness in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n is yielded . next , referring to fig1 , the relationship between the state of contact between the fixation film and the combination of the recording medium s and the toner thereon , and the temperature distribution and pressure distribution in the fixation nip n , will be described . the pressure distribution in the fixation nip n of this second example of a fixing apparatus is as shown in fig1 ( b ). that is , there is an area , in the fixation nip n , in which the internal pressure is lower than the internal pressure of the immediately preceding area in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . therefore , as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , the contact between the fixation film and the toner on the recording medium s becomes nonuniform in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n . in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , the temperature distribution of the fixation nip n , corresponding to the portion of the fixation nip n , in terms of its lengthwise direction , in which the contact is satisfactory ( the fixation film and the toner on the recording medium are perfectly in contact with each other ) in the aforementioned low pressure area , is as represented by line 1 in fig1 ( a ). that is , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n reaches the optimal level at a point on the upstream side of the point k at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , allowing thereby the fixation nip n to satisfactorily squeeze the pockets of air out of the toner at the point k . in comparison , the temperature distribution of the fixation nip n , corresponding to the portion of the fixation nip n , in terms of its lengthwise direction , in which the contact is unsatisfactory ( the fixation film and the toner on the recording medium are imperfectly in contact with each other ) in the aforementioned low pressure area , is as represented by line 2 in fig1 ( a ). that is , the rate of the upward change in the temperature distribution begins to reduce at the point at which pressure drop begins . therefore , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n does not reach the optimal level on the upstream side of the point k , preventing thereby the pockets of air from being efficiently squeezed out of the toner . obviously , even the internal temperature of the portion of the fixation nip n , in which the state of the contact is unsatisfactory as represented by line 3 in fig1 ( a ), can be increased to the optimal level by increasing the amount by which the heating member 33 generates heat . however , such a remedy causes the temperature of the portion of the fixation nip n , in which the state of contact is satisfactory , to become too high as indicated by line 4 in fig1 ( a ), making the toner too low in elasticity . as a result , hot offset occurs . in other words , if a fixing apparatus is structured as is this second example of a fixing apparatus comparable to that in the first embodiment , in which an area , in which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is lower than the immediately upstream side thereof is created in the fixation nip n , no latitude is afforded in achieving a desired level of surface uniformity ; in other words , it is impossible to realize the effects of the present invention . therefore , the distance by which the downstream side of the heating member holder in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction is made to protrude toward the pressure roller beyond the outwardly facing slippery surface of the downstream side of the heating member is desired to be no more than 100 μm . incidentally , even if this example of a fixing apparatus comparable to the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment is modified in structure in order to change the position of the contact area ( fixation nip n : fixation pressure generation area ) between the heating unit and pressure roller in terms of the horizontal direction , more specifically , in order to cause the line c 1 which is perpendicular to the recording medium pressing flat portion of the fixation film guiding surface made up of the outwardly facing slippery surfaces of the heating member 33 and heating member holder 32 , and coincides with the center thereof in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , to coincide with the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 , the area , the internal pressure of which is lower than that in the immediately preceding area in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , remains in the fixation nip n , and therefore , the effects of the present invention cannot be realized . fig1 ( a )- 19 ( b ) are schematic sectional views of the essential portion of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment . the structural members and portions of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment identical to those in the first embodiment will be given the same referential symbols as those in the first embodiment , and will not be described here . essentially , the fixing apparatus 10 in this embodiment comprises a pressure roller 20 and a heating unit 40 . the pressure roller 20 is 20 mm in diameter , and is provided with an elastic layer , the hardness of which is 60 ° in asker - c hardness scale . the heating unit 40 is kept pressed against the pressure roller 20 , forming a fixation nip n , and is provided with a heating means for heating the fixation nip n . the pressure roller 20 comprises a metallic core 21 formed of aluminum or iron , an elastic layer 22 fitted around the metallic core 21 , and a mold release layer 23 coated on the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 . the elastic layer 22 is a solid rubber layer formed of silicon rubber or the like , a sponge rubber layer formed of foamed silicon rubber made by foaming the silicon rubber in order to make the silicon rubber thermally insulative , a foamed rubber layer formed of foamed silicon rubber made by dispersing hollow filler particles in the silicon rubber to make the silicon rubber thermally insulative , or the like . the mold release layer 23 may be formed by coating the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 with fluorinated resin , such as perfluoroalkoxyl resin ( pfa ), polytetrafluoroethylene resin ( ptfe ), and tetrafluoroethylene - hexafluoropropylene resin ( fep ), or gls latex . it may be a tube fitted over the elastic layer 22 . it may be formed by coating the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 with mold releasing paint . the heating unit 40 comprises : a heat resistant cylindrical fixation film 41 which is 18 mm in diameter and 64 μm in thickness ; a heating member holder 42 for cylindrically holding the fixation film 41 ; and a rigid metallic pressure application stay 44 for holding the heating member holder 42 . the fixation film 44 is loosely fitted around the combination of the heating member holder 42 and stay 44 . the heating unit 40 also comprises a heating member 43 in the form of a piece of plate ( which hereinafter may be referred to as heating plate ), which is 5 . 83 mm in width , and is held to the heating member holder 42 , extending in the lengthwise direction of the holder 42 . the heating unit 40 is kept pressed against the pressure roller 20 by an unshown pressing means , which generates pressure f (= 20 kgf ), with the fixation film 41 sandwiched between the heating plate 43 and pressure roller 20 , forming thereby a fixation nip n shown in fig1 ( b ). referring to fig1 ( c ), the plane of which is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 , the heating unit 40 is kept pressured toward the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 by the force f . the direction u of the normal line to the flat portion of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating member holder 42 is not parallel to the direction in which the force f is applied to the heating unit 40 to keep the heating unit 40 pressed against the pressure roller 20 . in other words , the flat portion of the recording medium pressing slippery surface of the heating unit 40 made up of the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 , forms an angle of 4 . 4 ° relative to the horizontal plane , making the amount of the invasion by the flat portion into the pressure roller 20 relative to the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 20 , gradually increase toward the downstream end of the flat portion in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . incidentally , the direction in which force is applied to the heating member holder 43 is desired to be set so that the angle at which force is applied to the heating member holder 43 , relative to the direction of the normal line to the outwardly facing slippery surface of the heating member 43 ( hypothetical line perpendicular to the outwardly facing surface of heating member 43 ) falls in the range of 0 - 30 °. with the employment of such a structural arrangement , the upstream end j of the flat portion of the recording medium pressing portion of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit 40 is placed outside the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , and the downstream end k thereof is placed in the fixation nip n . in this second embodiment , the portion a , that is , the portion between the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n and the downstream end k of the aforementioned flat portion , is 7 . 7 mm , and the distance by which the downstream end k of the flat portion invades into the pressure roller 20 is 1 . 09 mm . also in this embodiment , the hypothetical line which is perpendicular to the fixation film contacting surface of the heating member , and coincides with the center thereof , is on the upstream side of the vertical plane coinciding with the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 . the heating unit 40 is kept pressed against the pressure roller 20 with the interposition of the fixation film 44 . the fixation film 44 held pinched between the heating member 42 and heating plate 43 is circularly rotated around the combination of the heating member holder 42 and rigid pressure application stay 44 by the rotation of the pressure roller 20 . the portion of the heating member holder 42 , on the downstream side of the downstream end k of the portion a , is made to curve inward of the heating unit 40 , forming the second portion b of the recording medium pressing slippery surface of the heating unit 40 , which extends from the downstream end k to the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , and is 3 mm in width in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . the fixation film 41 is a resin film comprising a substrate layer formed of heat resistant and heat insulating film of resin , such as polyamide , polyamide - imide , peek , pes , pps , pfa , ptfe , fep , etc ., and a surface layer formed of a single or mixture of heat resistant resins , such as pfa , ptfe , fep , silicone resin , etc ., superior in mold releasing properties . the heating member holder 42 is formed of resin such as liquid polymer , phenol resin , pps , peek , etc ., which are heat resistant and slippery . the heating plate 43 , that is , a heating member in the form of a piece of flat plate , is controlled in such a manner that the surface temperature of the pressure roller 20 or temperature of the inward surface of the heating plate 43 is maintained at a target temperature based on such information as the temperature detected by an unshown temperature detecting means , such as a thermistor , placed at an optional location next to the inward surface of the portion of the fixation film 44 , within the range of the fixation nip n . as described above , in this embodiment , the direction u of the normal line to the flat portion of the recording medium pressing portion of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating unit 40 made up of the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 is not parallel to the direction in which the force f is applied to keep the heating unit 40 pressed against the pressure roller 20 . therefore , the recording medium pressing flat portion is angled relative to the horizontal plane ( fig1 ( c ). further , the upstream end j of the flat portion is outside the fixation nip n , and the downstream end k of the flat portion is in the fixation nip n ( fig1 ( b )). therefore , the distribution of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is such that the internal pressure gradually increases toward the point k , at which the internal pressure is highest in the fixation nip n . therefore , as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , not only is it continuously heated by the heating plate 43 , but also , the pressure which applies to the recording medium s gradually increases with virtually no decrease until the recording medium s reaches the point k . further , the heating member is located on the upstream side of the point k of the heating member holder 42 , at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . therefore , the portion of the fixation nip n , which includes the portion a , and in which the combination of the recording medium s and the unfixed toner image is continuously heated without any drop in temperature , and in which the pressure which applies to the combination continuously and gradually increases , can be separated from the portion of the fixation nip n at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . the pressure distribution of the fixation nip n of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment is the same as that of the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment , which is represented by line 1 in fig5 ( a ), and the temperature distribution thereof is the same as that of the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment , shown in fig5 ( b ). therefore , before the toner reaches the point k ( downstream end k of flat portion a ), at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , the toner is thoroughly melted , allowing the pockets of air to be efficiently squeezed out of the toner . further , the toner is not unnecessarily heated after it is moved past the point k ; the temperature of the portion of the fixation nip n , on the downstream side of the point k remains at the target temperature level . therefore , it is possible to achieve the desired level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , and more latitude is afforded in controlling the fixation temperature in order to prevent hot offset . in addition , the direction u of the normal line to the flat portion a of the fixation film pressing slippery surface made up of the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 is not parallel to the direction f in which the heating unit 40 is kept pressured toward the pressure roller . therefore , the flat portion a is tilted relative to the horizontal plane tangential to the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 20 . therefore , not only is the force f 1 , the direction of which is perpendicular to the flat portion a , generated , but also , the force f 2 , the direction of which is parallel to the flat portion a and the direction sf in which the recording medium s is conveyed , while sandwiched between the fixation film and pressure roller , is generated , raising the level of stability at which the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n . therefore , the possibility that the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s by the recording medium pressing slippery surfaces of the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 , through the fixation film 41 , locally reduces within the fixation nip n , is reduced , enabling thereby the fixation nip n to reliably squeeze the pockets of air . therefore , it is possible to further raise the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness . also in this embodiment , the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 which make up the fixation film pressing slippery surfaces of the heating unit 40 are rigid members , as those in the first embodiment , making it easier to control the pressure f . further , the fixing apparatus in this embodiment is provided with the portion b as is the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment . therefore , it is possible to raise the level of glossiness without the occurrence of hot offset , as it can be done in the first embodiment . further , the provision of the portion b prevents the recording medium s from remaining curled . therefore , the recording medium s is smoothly separated from the fixation film 41 at the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n ; it is prevented from remaining wrapped around the fixation film 41 . the shapes and materials of the members of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , and the values representing the properties thereof , are not mandatory . as long as they can realize the pressure and temperature distributions shown in fig5 ( line 1 in fig5 ( a ), and fig5 ( b ), respectively ), they do not adversely affect the effects of the present invention . fig2 is a schematic sectional view of the essential portion of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment . the structural members and portions of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment identical to those in the first embodiment will be given the same referential symbols as those in the first embodiment , and will not be described here . the difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that in the second embodiment , the surface which catches the force f from the heating member holder 42 is roughly perpendicular to the direction of the force f ( surface which catches force f of heating member holder is nonparallel to outwardly facing slippery surface of heating member 43 ), whereas in this embodiment , the surface which catches the force f of the heating member holder 42 is not perpendicular to the direction of the force f ( surface which catches force f from heating member holder 42 is roughly parallel to the outwardly facing slippery surface of the heating member holder 42 ). referring to fig2 , the plane of which is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the fixation film of the heating unit 30 , in the case of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , the direction parallel to the direction of the force f , in which the heating unit 30 is kept pressured toward the pressure roller 20 ( direction in which pressure is applied on heating member holder 42 ), is tilted upstream in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction sf , that is , tilted toward the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , at an angle d , which is no more than 30 °, relative to the direction u of the normal line to the flat portion of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating member holder 42 , in the range of the fixation nip n . in other words , 0 °& lt ; d ≦ 30 °. the pressure and temperature distributions similar to those shown in fig5 ( line 1 in fig5 ( a ), and fig5 ( b ), respectively ), which are realized in the first embodiment , can also be realized by the employment of the above described structural arrangement for a fixing apparatus in this embodiment . therefore , the effects realized by the first embodiment , that is , improvement in the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , achieved by the flat slippery portion a , more latitude in prevention of hot offset , uncurling of the recording medium s by the slippery portion b , and prevention , by the slippery portion b , of the wrapping of the recording medium around the fixation film , can be realized also by the structural arrangement in this embodiment . in the case of the above described structural arrangement in this embodiment , the direction of the force f is tilted upstream , at an angle d . therefore , not only the force f 1 , the direction of which is perpendicular to the slippery surface , is generated , but also , the force f 2 , the direction of which is parallel to the slippery surface , and the direction sf in which the recording medium s is conveyed , being sandwiched between the fixation film and pressure roller , is generated , raising thereby the level of stability at which the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n . therefore , the possibility that the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s by the recording medium pressing slippery surfaces of the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 , through the fixation film 41 , locally reduces within the fixation nip n , is reduced , enabling thereby the fixation nip n to reliably squeeze the pockets of air . therefore , it is possible to further raise the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which a toner image is fixed . if the angle d is no less than 30 °, the force f , the direction of which is perpendicular to the slippery surface , generates an excessive amount of force f 2 , which acts on the recording medium s in the direction to convey the recording medium s , raising the level of stability at which the recording medium s is conveyed . however , the pressure for keeping the fixation film satisfactorily in contact with the toner image on the recording medium s reduces or becomes unstable . therefore , the pockets of air cannot be efficiently squeezed out , lowering the level of the uniformity in surface properties at which the toner image is fixed . this is why the angle d of the force f is to be set to a value in the aforementioned range . with the angle d set to a value within the aforementioned range , the pockets of air can be more reliably squeezed out to raise the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which the unfixed toner image is fixed by the fixing apparatus . regarding the value to which the angle d between the direction of the force f relative to the direction u of the normal line to the slippery surface , it should be selected in accordance with the coefficient of the friction between the recording medium s and slippery surface , or the like factors . however , it should be set to a value no more than 30 °, because as long as it is set to a value no more than 30 °, the effects of the present invention are satisfactorily realized . by structuring a fixing apparatus as the fixing apparatus in this embodiment is structured so that the direction in which the force f is applied to keep the heating unit pressured toward the pressure roller is tilted at the angle d , relative to the normal line u to the slippery surface , not only is the effects realized by the first embodiment , but also , the effects realized by the second embodiment can be realized . this embodiment is characterized in that the portion the heating member holder ( 32 and 42 in embodiments 1 - 3 ), which remains in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film ( 32 and 42 in embodiments 1 - 3 ) as the fixing film is circularly rotated around the heating member holder , sliding thereon , or the entirety of the heating member holder , is formed of ptfe , or a substance comparable in heat resistance and slipperiness . forming the portion of the heating member holder ( 32 and 42 ), which remains in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film ( 32 and 42 ) as the fixation film is circularly rotated around the heating member holder , sliding thereon , or the entirety of the heating member holder , of a substance such as ptfe which is heat resistant as well as slippery , improves the level of stability at which the fixation film is circularly moved around the heating member holder , and also , the durability of the fixation film . therefore , a fixing apparatus is improved in the state of contact between the heating member holder and fixation film , and the state of contact between the heating plate ( 33 in embodiment 1 - 3 ) and fixation film , not only making it possible to more reliably fix an unfixed toner image , but also , raising the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which the unfixed toner image is fixed . this embodiment is characterized in that the portion the heating member holder ( 32 and 42 in embodiments 1 - 3 ), which remains in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film ( 32 and 42 in embodiments 1 - 3 ), in the fixation nip n , as the fixing film is circularly rotated around the heating member holder , sliding thereon , or the entirety of the heating member holder , is coated with fluorinated substance which is heat resistant and slippery . forming the portion of the heating member holder ( 32 and 42 ), which remains in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film ( 32 and 42 ) as the fixation film is circularly rotated around the heating member holder , sliding thereon , or the entirety of the heating member holder , of a substance such as ptfe , or the like , mentioned in the fourth embodiment , which is heat resistant as well as slippery , raises the level of stability at which the fixation film is circularly moved around the heating member holder , and also , the durability of the fixation film . therefore , a fixing apparatus is improved in the state of contact between the heating member holder and fixation film , and the state of contact , in the fixation nip n , between the heating plate ( 33 in embodiments 1 - 3 ) and fixation film , not only making it possible to more reliably fix an unfixed toner image , but also , raising the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which the unfixed toner image is fixed . 1 ) a fixing apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes such an image heating apparatus as an image fixing apparatus for temporarily fixing an unfixed image to recording medium , a surface property improving apparatus for reheating a recording medium bearing a fixed image to improve the image in surface properties such as glossiness , or the like heating apparatus . 2 ) in the preceding embodiments of the present invention , a ceramic heater structured as shown in fig3 is employed as the heating member . obviously , a ceramic heater employed as the heating member may have a structure different from the one shown in fig3 . for example , it may be a ceramic heater of the so - called rear surface heating type , in which the heat generating resistive layer 33 b is placed on the opposite surface of the substrate 33 a from the surface on which the flexible member slides . further , it may be a heating device employing a piece of nichrome wire , or the like , or a heat generating device comprising a piece of iron plate or the like , in which heat can generated by electromagnetically induced current . 3 ) in the preceding embodiments , a thermistor of a contact type is employed as a means for detecting the temperature of the heating member . however , the temperature detecting means may be of a noncontact type , which detects radiant heat , and the employment of such a temperature detecting means causes no problem at all . further , the location of the temperature detecting means does not need to be limited to those in the preceding embodiments ; the temperature control is possible even if the temperature detecting means is disposed at a location different from those in the preceding embodiments . 4 ) the material for the flexible member does not need to be limited to the film of heat resistant resin . it may be metallic film , or composite film . 5 ) in the preceding embodiments , the flexible member is a cylindrical member ( flexible sleeve ), and is rotated by the rotation of the pressure roller driven by a driving means . however , the means for rotating the flexible member is optional . for example , a driver roller may be placed within the loop of the endless film ( flexible member ) to rotationally drive the endless film by rotationally driving the driver roller . 6 ) the flexible member may be in the form of a roll of a long piece of web , which is rolled out and moved in contact with the heating member . as described above in detail , according to the present invention , the pressure and temperature distributions in the fixation nip can be optimized . therefore , an image which is highly glossy and does not suffer from the defects attributable to nonuniform heating can be outputted , without sacrificing the benefits of a fixing apparatus of a film heating type , that is , thermal efficiency , rapid startup , low cost , etc . while the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein , it is not confined to the details set forth , and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims . this application claims priority from japanese patent applications no . 195772 / 2003 filed jul . 11 , 2003 and no . 193164 / 2004 filed jun . 30 , 2004 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . | 6 |
the present invention uses a single capacitor to generate an electric field and to detect changes in that field due to the passage of material with varying resistivity or dielectric constant . this technique is useful for measurements in several different fields of endeavour , such as : geophysical exploration and mine development , both surficial and in boreholes archaeological detection of cavities and / or objects having a significant dielectric contrast with surrounding material hydro - geological detection of the saline markers associated with groundwater in arid climates environmental detection of conductive contaminant plumes or monitoring in connection with the rehabilitation of contaminated sites the basis of the present invention stems from the fundamental physical property exhibited by a capacitor when the electric field generated by the capacitor is modified by an intersecting material , thereby altering the effective capacity . the capacitor then behaves as a variable reactive impedance , becoming a single sensor that responds to changes in electrical parameters of the environment through which it passes . the variations are detected by incorporating an integrated capacitor sensor ( ics ) as a frequency determining element of an electrical oscillator that , in turn , drives the ics . the resulting frequency variations of the oscillator are then transmitted directly to a data acquisition system for conversion to resistivity or dielectric constant measurements . the ics involves two alternative capacitive array configurations when used in boreholes . for use in dry boreholes , an array is formed from parallel rods , wherein each pair of rods has one rod connected to the driver and the other rod connected to ground . the electric field extends outwardly and is used to measure the parameters of the surrounding borehole , such as resistivity and dielectric constant . the apparatus is encased in a composite tubular housing between metal plugs with an isolated power source . for use in fluid - filled boreholes , a second embodiment of the array benefits from the fact that the fluid is conductive and employs metal plugs to generate an electric field therebetween which takes the form of an arc with radial symmetry from one plug to the other . direct galvanic contact with the fluid provides high efficiency coupling of the electric field to the formation . a fixed capacitor is used rather than the non - conductive probe housing to prevent a direct contact between the fluid and the internal circuitry . in both configurations an oscillator is employed to energize an rc circuit consisting of a fixed resistor and an adjacent plate or rod capacitor . any phase shift at the output of the rc circuit is a function of the time constant that depends upon the product of the fixed resistance and the measured capacitance , which in turn is dependent upon the material that intersects the capacitive electric fields . in the preferred embodiment for use in fluid - filled or dry boreholes , the digital frequency signal is acquired and processed by a standard pc . for borehole measurements , most conventional sensor systems generate signals that require specialized custom designed boxes at the surface to provide signal conditioning before being fed to any standard data acquisition system . in the present invention , however , the signal is a frequency that is transmitted by an industry standard line driver element for reception by a corresponding receiver chip . the system is thus compatible with off the shelf data acquisition plug - in cards that are available from a number of third party manufacturers of pc accessories , making the ics and processing unit an inexpensive package , suitable for the budgets of environmental groups or municipalities concerned with the monitoring of contamination leaching from landfill sites or ‘ brown lands ’. in one embodiment of the present invention shown in fig3 a , an ics probe 18 is constructed in the form of parallel rods 20 , 22 arranged in a circular array and separated by circular spacers 24 . alternate rods 22 are connected to ground to form the passive or ground element of the array , while the other rods 20 are connected to the driving circuitry to form the active element . in operation , the probe is a multi - capacitive array that has radial symmetry , with the electric field 10 fringing out symmetrically into the formation , as shown in fig3 b . although not shown , the probe is housed in a composite tubular housing between two metal plugs . another embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig4 . this embodiment is particularly advantageous when the borehole is filled with fluid 66 . fig4 shows the borehole wall 67 and the logging cable 68 . an ics probe 18 is constructed with the capacitor elements formed by the metal plugs 70 , 72 that seal the two ends of the probe housing 74 . both metal plugs 70 , 72 act as electrodes in direct galvanic contact with the fluid , which provides a high efficiency coupling of the electric field 10 with the formation . one of the electrodes 72 is connected to the local ground of the oscillator circuit , while the other one 70 , the active element , is connected to the driving circuitry via a fixed capacitor c s . the electric field is generated as a radially symmetrical arc between the two electrodes , thereby intersecting the formation . with the electrodes in direct contact with the fluid , the electric field is coupled to the fluid and hence to the formation , forming a high efficiency configuration . the base frequency of the device is the frequency obtained when the electrodes are shorted together , and thus is determined by the value of the series capacitance and the value of the feedback resistance used in the oscillator circuit . the fixed capacitor c s performs the same function as the capacitance between the rods 20 , 22 inside the non - conductive probe housing of the parallel rod array of fig3 a . both of the embodiments of fig3 and 4 preferably use an isolated power supply for the oscillator circuit . if the oscillator circuit and the associated capacitive array share a common ground with the logging cable supplying power from the surface equipment , there is a possibility that undesirable capacitive interaction between the capacitive array and the cable conductors may occur . fig5 a shows waveforms of the ics probe . a square wave oscillator energizes a two - element rc network consisting of a fixed resistance r and the fixed capacitance c . in this embodiment , the signal at the junction of the two elements is a degraded square wave 30 that is used as the input to a second logic gate 32 , which in turn produces a second square wave 34 identical to the original 35 except for a shift in phase . “ t ” indicates the trigger point of the second logic gate 32 . the extent of the phase shift 36 is a function of the time delay produced by the product of the r and c values . in another embodiment , a schmitt trigger oscillator is used to generate the waveforms and detect the phase shift . as shown in fig5 b , the resistive element r is connected between the output 39 and the input 41 of an inverting logic gate 40 having a hysteresis loop . this ensures that a change in state of the output 39 occurs only when the input 41 reaches a predetermined high - level threshold on the rising edge , and a predetermined low - level threshold on the trailing edge . trigger levels 44 are indicated by dashed lines on the waveforms taken at the input 41 . capacitor 42 represents the fixed capacitance and is connected from the input 41 to ground 43 . changes in the impedance value cause changes in the frequency of operation of the oscillator such that a long rc time constant results in a slower output frequency , as illustrated in waveform set 46 , while a short rc time constant results in a higher output frequency as per waveform set 48 . fig6 a shows a typical phase - locked loop ( pll ) circuit . a pll generally employs a voltage controlled oscillator ( vco ) 50 that is a square wave oscillator with a frequency that can be altered via a voltage level change applied to its input . a pll circuit also employs a phase comparator 52 that has two inputs , one of which is usually the vco output , the other being a reference waveform . the phase comparator 52 outputs a dc level that is proportional to the phase difference between its two inputs . this dc level is applied to the vco , which alters the frequency of oscillation until the phase difference is driven to some predetermined value , usually ninety degrees . pll circuits are available as low power single - chip integrated circuits , which are suitable for use with a borehole probe . in the example shown in fig6 a , the vco 50 generates a frequency that is an exact multiple of the 60 hz ac supply , i . e . 600 hz in this example . the vco output is applied to a divide - by - ten counter chip 54 to produce an output that is approximately 60 hz . the phase comparator 52 receives the output signal of the counter chip 54 and a low voltage signal derived from the 60 hz ac supply . a dc level is generated at the output of the phase comparator 52 to drive the vco frequency to be exactly 600 hz and hence phase - lock to the 60 hz supply . an oscilloscope display would show the two waveforms phase - locked and stationary , with ten periods of the vco corresponding to exactly one period of the ac supply . if the ac supply frequency drifts from the value of 60 hz for any reason , the vco generated frequency of 600 hz follows it precisely . fig6 b shows a pll in an embodiment of the present invention . the vco 50 drives the two - element rc circuit and the signal 56 at the junction 58 of the rc circuit is applied to a second logic gate ( not shown ) to generate a second square wave signal . the second square wave signal has the same frequency as the vco 50 , but with a phase lag that depends on the value of the rc combination . the vco output and the output of the second logic gate are input to the phase comparator 52 . if the rc product varies due to variations in electrical properties of the surrounding environment , then the phase difference seen by the phase comparator is altered and the phase comparator output has an altered dc level . this in turn alters the frequency of the vco 50 in such a way as to restore the phase difference between the two signals . this altered dc level is the signal that represents the changing resistivity / dielectric constant parameters of the borehole formation or surrounding environment . probes of the embodiments of fig3 and 4 have been constructed and tested to obtain resistivity measurements in a well - documented borehole . when compared to measurements obtained by conventional electrical techniques in the same borehole , the probes were found to display excellent reproducibility and close correlation . borehole resistivity logs were recorded in one of six geological survey of canada ( gsc ) test holes that were drilled in 1981 and intersect approximately 60 meters of sedimentary paleozoics overlying a crystalline basement . there is an unconformity at the interface that is characterized by altered granite basement rocks that form a highly conductive stratum . a number of geophysical parameters for these holes have been extensively documented , both by analysis of the cores and from instrumental measurements recorded using a variety of different borehole probes . for example , reference logs have been made of the resistivity using both the galvanic technique and the timofeev capacitive probe . fig7 shows borehole resistivity logs where ( a ) is a 40 cm normal array galvanic resistivity log ; ( b ) is a log recorded with the fluid - filled borehole array ics probe lowered down the hole ; ( c ) is a log recorded with the six - rod fluid - filled borehole array ics probe pulled up the hole ; and ( d ) is a capacitive resistivity log recorded with the old timofeev probe . the correlation between the ics probe readings and the two reference logs is excellent and demonstrates the validity of the ics technique for the measurement of formation resistivity . fig8 shows a capacitive log recorded with the ics probe in a hole drilled near a landfill site and lined with plastic casing . each casing section is three meters long . it is notable that the joints in the plastic casing at three meter intervals are clearly visible on the log , confirming that the capacitive technique responds to changes in dielectric constant . superimposed on this casing response is a low wavelength signal reflecting a change in formation resistivity . fig9 is a schematic representation of the ics probe in the borehole formation for the embodiment of fig3 . in both the schematic of fig9 and that of fig4 , the formation is represented by an approximate electrical equivalence consisting of capacitive and resistive elements in parallel and denoted in both figures by c f and r f . the modus operandi of the circuit is also the same for both array configurations . the fixed capacitance between the active and grounded rods is denoted by c 0 . the distributed formation capacitance and resistance ( c f r f ) combine with c 0 and c s to form a reactive impedance that causes frequency variations . in practice , the resistive element dominates the response and if c f is disregarded , then a simplified analogous illustration is possible . consider the borehole wall as a conductive sheet with the formation resistance provided by surrounding material of resistivity , ρ . the conductive sheet has no effect if it is not grounded . if the conductive sheet is grounded , then it represents the maximum possible formation capacitance and a value of zero for ρ . if the ground is moved from the conductive sheet out into the surrounding material , the material becomes equivalent to a lumped resistance of some value r eq . when the conductive sheet is grounded and the probe is inserted into the borehole , the capacitance is at a maximum since the conductive sheet becomes an additional ground element in the array of rods . as the ground is moved out into the surrounding material or formation , the effective resistance increases and the frequency increases toward the value that is obtained in air with no conductive sheet , which is the same as with the sheet present but ungrounded . in reality , the frequency , f , is proportional to the equivalent resistivity , r eq . an analysis of the equivalent circuit of fig9 shows that the relation is non - linear and approximates the form : where k is an arbitrary constant . as shown in fig9 , an empirical calibration curve for a selected probe in a hole of a given diameter is constructed by plotting the frequency from a log made by the probe over as large a range as possible against the resistivity values obtained from a galvanic log taken in the same hole . the resulting calibration curve is then applicable to all logs taken in holes of the same diameter . the theory of equivalent resistance described above was validated experimentally by wrapping the shell housing ( 40 mm abs pipe ) of a test probe with adhesive aluminium foil to represent the smallest possible borehole diameter for this particular probe . the parallel rod array was inserted into the housing and , as expected , the frequency was not affected unless the foil was grounded , at which point the frequency dropped substantially . a selection of fixed resistor values were then inserted in turn between the ground and the foil and the frequencies were recorded for each value . fig1 shows a resulting plot of frequency versus equivalent resistance for resistor values up to 33 kω , illustrating the exponential nature of the relationship . in practice , this shows that higher values of formation resistivity will be recorded as less than their true values due to the non - linearity of the ics system response beyond about 8 kω . the relationship between r eq and the actual resistivity ρ can be quantified by noting that cylindrical symmetry makes this a two dimensional problem . considering a constant current i o generating a potential drop v ab between the conductive sheet at the borehole wall of radius a and another virtual cylinder in the formation of radius b , which is the effective limit of the penetration of the electric field generated by the probe and is thus the effective radius of investigation . the surface current density j at the borehole wall is given per unit length by : j a = i o 2 π a ( 1 ) the current density at a surface at some intermediate radius r between a and b is then : j r = i o 2 π r ( 2 ) δ v = ρ i o δ r 2 π r ( 3 ) the total potential drop from a to b is then given by : v ab = ρ i o 2 π r dr = ln ( b a ) ρ i o 2 π ( 4 ) the equivalent resistance r ab is by definition v ab / i o , which from ( 4 ) means that : r ab = ln ( b a ) ( ρ 2 π ) ( 5 ) b = a e ( 2 π r ab ρ ) ( 6 ) if the relationship between true resistivity and frequency has been established using the empirical procedure described previously , then the effective radius of investigation ‘ b ’ can be estimated . this is done by pairing values of equivalent resistance r eq taken from an experimental curve as in fig9 , with values of ρ for corresponding frequencies obtained in an empirical calibration against a galvanic log as described above . by substituting the values of r ab / ρ into equation ( 6 ), a regression line can then be applied to determine the best - fit value of ‘ b ’, the radius of investigation . if ρ is specified in ohm - meters , then ‘ a ’ and ‘ b ’ are specified in meters . in previously known measurement techniques , such as galvanic electrodes , receiving and transmitting coils and dual capacitors , physical separation of the excitation and measurement units imposes a distortion on the measurement . this distortion is always evident in the response of the system to a very thin vein or seam of material that contrasts with the remainder of the material . rather than recording a single spike corresponding to the thin vein , the system records a double event as the thin vein is encountered first by one system element and then by the other . the ics system is robust with minimal measurement distortion . the system records a single spike corresponding to a vein without recording a double spike . in addition , the system is simple to manufacture and requires minimal electronics . the borehole probe that was used to generate the test data employed parts and materials commonly found in a hardware store . for example , the electronics of one of the probes consists of only four 1970 &# 39 ; s vintage cmos integrated circuit logic elements mounted on a small circuit board , yet producing results comparable with much more expensive and sophisticated probe assemblies . the capability of the capacitive technique to respond to variations in dielectric constant makes it inherently a remote sensor for certain kinds of plastics , which could include plastic explosives such as land mines . a different configuration of the capacitive array is required for this application . instead of the cylindrical squirrel - cage array used for the borehole measurements , a planar version is employed . tests of such an arrangement have shown that objects such as 5 mm plastic polycarbonate sheets placed in proximity to the array are clearly detected , similar to the test illustrated in fig8 that clearly shows the casing joints every three meters . as an example of this use , a planar array version of the ics mounted beneath a raft could be used to detect land mines sown in rice paddy fields in shallow water . in that case the contrast between the dielectric constant of water ( 80 ) and that of the plastic explosives ( less than 2 ), enhances the detection capability , while the water environment has a fairly uniform resistivity , generating minimal interference in the signal . the present invention , due to its basic simplicity , is well suited to large - scale production . it has wide applications in fields such as mineral exploration , groundwater investigations and environmental monitoring . the technique of capacitive resistivity measurement has not been previously viable for borehole applications due to the cost and complexity of the equipment required , a problem which the ics system addresses . the technique of the present invention is clearly applicable to both surficial and borehole measurements . variations in the system will be appreciated by one skilled in the art . for example , the metal end caps can be recessed into the housing . | 6 |
as used herein , the term “ pesticidally effective ” is used to indicate an amount or concentration of a pesticidal compound which is sufficient to reduce the number of pests in a geographical locus as compared to a corresponding geographical locus in the absence of the amount or concentration of the pesticidal compound . the term “ pesticidal ” is not intended to refer only to the ability to kill pests , such as insect pests , but also includes the ability to interfere with a pest &# 39 ; s life cycle in any way that results in an overall reduction in the pest population . for example , the term “ pesticidal ” includes inhibition of a pest from progressing from one form to a more mature form , e . g ., transition between various larval instars or transition from larva to pupa or pupa to adult . further , the term “ pesticidal ” is intended to encompass anti - pest activity during all phases of a pest &# 39 ; s life cycle ; thus , for example , the term includes larvacidal , ovicidal , and adulticidal activity . as used herein , the term “ alkyl ” ( e . g ., alkyl , alkylxcarboxy , alkylphenyl , etc .) refers to a straight or branched chain hydrocarbon having from one to twelve carbon atoms , optionally substituted with substituents selected from the group which includes lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkylsulfanyl , lower alkylsulfenyl , lower alkylsulfonyl , oxo , hydroxy , mercapto , amino optionally substituted by alkyl , carboxy , carbamoyl optionally substituted by alkyl , aminosulfonyl optionally substituted by a substituent selected from the group including alkyl , nitro , cyano , halogen and lower perfluoroalkyl , multiple degrees of substitution being allowed . examples of “ alkyl ” as used herein include , but are not limited to , n - butyl , n - pentyl , isobutyl , isopropyl and the like . loweralkyl is preferred . the term “ loweralkyl ” as used herein means linear or branched c 1 to c 4 alkyl , preferably methyl , ethyl or propyl . the term “ loweralkoxy ” as used herein means linear or branched c 1 to c 4 alkoxy , preferably methoxy , ethoxy , or propoxy . the term “ halo ” as used herein means halogen , preferably fluoro , chloro , bromo or iodo , most preferably fluoro . certain of the compounds as described contain one or more chiral , or asymmetric , centers and are therefore be capable of existing as optical isomers that are either dextrorotatory or levorotatory . the invention includes the respective dextrorotatory or levorotatory pure preparations , as well as mixtures ( racemic or enantiomerically enriched mixtures ) thereof . a first group of compounds of the present invention are compounds of formula ia and ib below : r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , and r 6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of h , halogen , hydroxyl , alkyl , alkylhydroxy , alkoxy , or phenyl ; or a pair of r 2 and r 3 , r 3 and r 4 , r 4 and r 5 , and r 5 and r 6 together are —( ch ) 4 — to form a naphthyl group ; r 7 is h , alkyl , phenyl , alkylphenyl , or alkylcarboxy ; and subject to the proviso that at least one of r 7 and r 8 is carboxy or alkylcarboxy ; and subject to the proviso that when r 1 is — nh 2 , then one of r or r 8 is not carboxy or alkylcarboxy . additional compounds of the present invention are compounds of formula iia and iib below : r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , and r 6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of h , halogen , hydroxyl , alkyl , alkylhydroxy , alkoxy , or phenyl ; or a pair of r 2 and r 3 , r 3 and r 4 , r 4 and r 5 , and r 5 and r 6 together are —( ch ) 4 — to form a naphthyl group ; and specific examples of compounds of formula iia and iib include , but are not limited to , the following : compounds as described herein may be prepared by techniques known to those skilled in the art taken together with the information provided in the examples set forth herein . a further aspect of the subject invention are addition salts , complexes , or prodrugs such as esters of the compounds described herein , especially the nontoxic pharmaceutically or agriculturally acceptable acid addition salts . the acid addition salts can be prepared using standard procedures in a suitable solvent from the parent compound and an excess of an acid , such as hydrochloric , hydrobromic , sulfuric , phosphoric , acetic , maleic , succinic , ethanedisulfonic or methanesulfonic acids . esterification to form derivatives such as the methyl or ethyl esters , can also be performed using standard procedures . tartarate salts can be prepared in accordance with standard procedures . also , derivation of the pesticidal compounds with long chain hydrocarbons will facilitate passage through the cuticle into the pest body cavity . therefore , in a further embodiment , the subject invention provides compositions comprising the pesticidal compounds bound to lipids or other carriers . the subject invention concerns novel pest control compounds and methods for using such compounds . specifically exemplified are novel pesticidal compounds , compositions comprising said pesticidal compounds and the use of such pesticidal compounds and compositions in controlling pests , particularly insect pests such as mosquitoes preferably , the subject compounds have an ld 50 against mosquito larvae of less than 3 . 0 μmole / ml . more preferably , the compounds have an ld 50 of less than 2 . 0 μmole / ml , and , most preferably , the compounds have an ld 50 of less than 1 . 0 μmole / ml . as used herein , “ ld 50 ” refers to a lethal dose of a peptide able to cause 50 % mortality of larvae maintained on a diet of 1 mg / ml autoclaved yeast supplemented with the pesticidal polypeptide . control of pests using the pest control compounds of the subject invention can be accomplished by a variety of methods known to those skilled in the art . the plant pests that can be controlled by the compounds of the subject invention include pests belonging to the orders coleoptera , lepidopterans , hemiptera and thysanoptera . these pests all belong to the phylum arthropod . other pests that can be controlled according to the subject invention include members of the orders diptera , siphonaptera , hymenoptera and phthiraptera . other pests that can be controlled by the compounds of the subject invention include those in the family arachnida , such as ticks , mites and spiders . the use of the compounds of the subject invention to control pests can be accomplished readily by those skilled in the art having the benefit of the instant disclosure . for example , the compounds may be encapsulated , incorporated in a granular form , solubilized in water or other appropriate solvent , powdered , and included into any appropriate formulation for direct application to the pest or to a pest inhabited locus . formulated bait granules containing an attractant and the pesticidal compounds of the present invention can be applied to a pest - inhabited locus , such as to the soil . formulated product can also be applied as a seed - coating or root treatment or total plant treatment at later stages of the crop cycle . plant and soil treatments may be employed as wettable powders , granules or dusts , by mixing with various inert materials , such as inorganic minerals ( phyllosilicates , carbonates , sulfates , phosphates , and the like ) or botanical materials ( powdered corncobs , rice hulls , walnut shells , and the like ). the formulations may include spreader - sticker adjuvants , stabilizing agents , other pesticidal additives , or surfactants . liquid formulations may be aqueous - based or non - aqueous ( i . e ., organic solvents ), or combinations thereof , and may be employed as foams , gels , suspensions , emulsions , microemulsions or emulsifiable concentrates or the like . the ingredients may include theological agents , surfactants , emulsifiers , dispersants or polymers . as would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art , the pesticidal concentration will vary widely depending upon the nature of the particular formulation , particularly whether it is a concentrate or to be used directly . the pesticidal compound will be present in the composition by at least about 0 . 0001 % by weight and may be 99 or 100 % by weight of the total composition . the pesticidal carrier may be from 0 . 1 % to 99 . 9999 % by weight of the total composition . the dry formulations will have from about 0 . 0001 - 95 % by weight of the pesticide while the liquid formulations will generally be from about 0 . 0001 - 60 % by weight of the solids in the liquid phase . these formulations will be administered at about 50 mg ( liquid or dry ) to 1 kg or more per hectare . the formulations can be applied to the pest or the environment of the pest , e . g ., soil and foliage , by spraying , dusting , sprinkling or the like . the pest control compounds may also be provided in tablets , pellets , briquettes , bricks , blocks and the like which are formulated to float , maintain a specified depth or sink as desired . in one embodiment the formulations , according to the present invention , are formulated to float on the surface of an aqueous medium ; in another embodiment they are formulated to maintain a depth of 0 to 2 feet in an aqueous medium ; in yet another embodiment the formulations are formulated to sink in an aqueous : environment . the pesticidal compounds of the present invention may be used advantageously to control an insect population of a specific geographical area . the specific geographical area can be as large as a state or a county and is preferably ½ to 10 square miles , more preferably one square mile , and more preferably ½ to one square miles , and may also be much smaller , such as 100 - 200 square yards , or may simply include the environment surrounding and / or inside an ordinary building , such as a barn or house . in general , the pesticidal compounds or compositions containing one or more of the pesticidal compounds are introduced to an area of infestation . for example , the composition can be sprayed on as a wet or dry composition on the surface of organic material infested with a target pest , or organic material or habitat susceptible to infestation with a target pest . alternately , the composition can be applied wet or dry to an area of infestation where it can come into contact with the target pest . the pesticidal compound may also be applied to an area of larvae development , for example , an agricultural area or a body of water such as a pond , rice paddy , watering hole or even a small puddle . in one aspect of the invention , a target pest population is exposed to a pesticidally effective amount of a pesticidal compound to decrease or eliminate the population of that pest in an area . the method of introduction of the pesticidal compound into the target pest can be by direct ingestion by the target pest from a trap , or by feeding of a target pest on nutrient - providing organic matter treated with the pesticidal compound , ( e . g ., killed yeast or algae in the case of mosquito larvae ). for some applications it will be advantageous to deliver the pesticidal composition to the location of the pest colony . in other applications , it will be preferable to apply the pesticidal composition to a prey or host of the pest , such as a human or other animal . amounts and locations for application of the pesticidal compounds and compositions of the present invention are generally determined by the habits of the insect pest , the lifecycle stage at which the pest is to be attacked , the site where the application is to be made and the physical and functional characteristics of the compound . the pesticidal compounds of the present invention are generally administered to the insect by oral ingestion , but may also be administered by means which permit penetration through the cuticle or penetration of the insect respiratory system . the pesticide may be absorbed by the pest , particularly where the composition provides for uptake by the outer tissues of the pest , particularly a larval or other pre - adult form of the pest , such as a detergent composition . where the pesticidal compounds are formulated to be orally administered to the insect pests , the compounds can be administered alone or in association with an insect food . the compounds are preferably so associated with the food that it is not possible for the insect to feed on the food without ingesting the pesticidal compound . preferred foods for mosquito larvae are algae ( particularly green , unicellular ) and yeast . the food may comprise live organisms or killed organisms . in one embodiment for the control of plant pests , plants or other food organisms may be genetically transformed to express the pesticidal compound such that a pest feeding upon the plant or other food organism will ingest the pesticidal compound and thereby be controlled . the pesticidal compound may also be mixed with an attractant to form a bait that will be sought out by the pest . further , the pesticidal compound may be applied as a systemic poison that is absorbed and distributed through the tissues of a plant or animal host , such that an insect feeding thereon will obtain an insecticidally effective dose of the pesticidal compound . the compounds according to the present invention may be employed alone or in mixtures with one another and / or with such solid and / or liquid dispersible carrier vehicles as described herein or as otherwise known in the art , and / or with other known compatible active agents , including , for example , insecticides , acaricides , rodenticides , fungicides , bactericides , nematocides , herbicides , fertilizers , growth - regulating agents , etc ., if desired , in the form of particular dosage preparations for specific application made therefrom , such as solutions , emulsions , suspensions , powders , pastes , and granules as described herein or as otherwise known in the art which are thus ready for use . for example , a dosage form for a pond environment may be provided in the form of time releasable bricks , briquettes , pellets , powders , liquids , and the like , comprising at least one pesticidal compound according to the present invention and at least one other active ingredient selected from the group consisting of insecticides , acaricides , rodenticides , fungicides , bactericides , nematocides , herbicides , fertilizers , and growth - regulating agents , for administration to the pond . the pesticidal compounds may be administered with other insect control chemicals , for example , the compositions of the invention may employ various chemicals designed to affect insect behavior , such as attractants and / or repellents , or as otherwise known in the art . the pesticidal compounds may also be administered with chemosterilants . the pesticidal compounds are suitably applied by any method known in the art including , for example , spraying , pouring , dipping , in the form of concentrated liquids , solutions , suspensions , sprays , powders , pellets , briquettes , bricks and the like , formulated to deliver a pesticidally effective concentration of the pesticidal compound . the pesticidal formulations may be applied in a pesticidally effective amount to an area of pest infestation or an area susceptible to infestation , a body of water or container , a barn , a carpet , pet bedding , an animal , clothing , skin , and the like . formulated pesticidal compounds can also be applied as a seed - coating or root treatment or total plant treatment at later stages of the crop cycle . plant and soil treatments may be employed as wettable powders , granules or dusts , by mixing with various inert materials , such as inorganic minerals ( phyllosilicates , carbonates , sulfates , phosphates , and the like ) or botanical materials ( powdered corncobs , rice hulls , walnut shells , and the like ). such formulations suitably include spreader - sticker adjuvants , stabilizing agents , other pesticidal additives , or surfactants . liquid formulations may be aqueous - based or non - aqueous and employed as foams , gels , suspensions , emulsifiable concentrates , or the like . the pesticidal compounds and compositions of the present invention can be delivered to the environment using a variety of devices known in the art of pesticide administration ; particularly preferred devices are those which permit continuous extended or pulsed extended delivery of the pesticidal composition . for example , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 417 , 682 discloses a fluid - imbibing dispensing device for the immediate , or almost immediate , and extended delivery of an active agent over a prolonged period of time together with the initially delayed pulse delivery of an active agent to a fluid environment of use . other dispensing means useful for dispensing the pesticidal compositions of the present invention include , for example , osmotic dispensing devices which employ an expansion means to deliver an agent to an environment of use over a period of hours , weeks , days or months . the expansion means absorbs liquid , expands , and acts to drive out beneficial agent composition from the interior of the device in a controlled , usually constant manner . an osmotic expansion device can be used to controllably , usually relatively slowly and over a period of time , deliver the pesticidal compositions of the present invention . the osmotic expansion device may be designed to float on water and deliver the pesticidal compound to the surface of the water . the compositions of the present invention may also be employed as time - release compositions , particularly for applications to animals , or areas that are subject to reinfestation , such as mosquito - infested ponds or animal quarters . various time - release formulations are known in the art . common analytical chemical techniques are used to determine and optimize the rate of release to ensure the delivery of a pesticidally effective concentration of the pesticidal compound . the amount of the time - release composition necessary to achieve a pesticidally effective concentration of pesticide in the environment where the pesticide is applied , e . g ., a body of water , is based on the rate of release of the time - release formulation . in one aspect , the time - release formulations may be formulated to float on top of the water . in another aspect , the formulation may be formulated to rest on the bottom , or below the surface of the body of water , and to gradually release small particles which themselves float to the surface , thereby delivering the pesticidal composition to the niche of the pest , e . g ., mosquito larvae . delayed or continuous release can also be accomplished by coating the pesticidal compounds or a composition containing the pesticidal compound ( s ) with a dissolvable or bioerodable coating layer , such as gelatin , which coating dissolves or erodes in the environment of use , such as in a pond , to then make the pesticidal compound available , or by dispersing the compounds in a dissolvable or erodable matrix . such continuous release and / or dispensing means devices may be advantageously employed in a method of the present invention to consistently maintain a pesticidally effective concentration of one or more of the pesticidal compounds of the present invention in a specific pest habitat , such as a pond or other mosquito - producing body of water . the continuous release compositions are suitably formulated by means known in the art to float on a body of water , thereby delivering the pesticidal compound to the surface layer of the water inhabited by insect larvae . the following examples are illustrative of the practice of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting . all percentages are by weight and all solvent mixture proportions are by volume unless otherwise noted . the benzyl ester of ( s )- proline hydrochloride was combined with the n - tert - butylcarbamate mono - benzyl ester of ( s )- aspartic acid in methylene chloride . peptide coupling was affected by the addition of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , n - hydroxybenzotriazole , and n - ethylmorpholine at 0 ° c . and then allowing the mixture to warm to room temperature . the coupled dipeptide was then subjected to trifluoroacetic acid to remove the tert - butylcarbamate protecting group . the amine trifluoroacetate salt was then combined with 3 - phenylpropionic acid , diisopropylethylamine , and bop (( benzotriazol - 1 - yloxy ) tris ( dimethylamino )- phosphonium hexafluorophosphate ) in methylene chloride at 0 ° c . the tripeptide derivative was obtained in 79 % yield . the benzyl esters were then cleaved by hydrogenolysis ( hydrogen at 1 atm using pd / c as catalyst ) in ethanol . the free diacid tripeptide , compound 1 , was obtained in 85 % yield . all new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods ( infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ) and combustion analysis . the benzyl ester of ( s )- proline hydrochloride was combined with the n - tert - butylcarbamate mono - benzyl ester of ( s )- aspartic acid in methylene chloride . peptide coupling was affected by the addition of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , n - hydroxybenzotriazole , and n - ethylmorpholine at 0 ° c ., and then allowing the reaction mixture to warm to room temperature . the coupled dipeptide was then subjected to trifluoroacetic acid to remove the tert - butylcarbamate protecting group . the amine trifluoroacetate salt was then combined with 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionic acid , dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , n - hydroxybenzotriazole , and n - ethylmorpholine at 0 ° c ., and the reaction mixture was then allowed to warm to room temperature . the dipeptide amide dibenzyl ester was isolated in 60 % yield . the benzyl esters were then cleaved by hydrogenolysis ( hydrogen at 1 atm using pd / c as catalyst ) in ethanol . the free diacid dipeptide amide , compound 2 , was obtained in 74 % yield . all new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods ( infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ) and combustion analysis . the benzyl ether derivative of ( s )- prolinol hydrochloride was combined with the n - tert - butylcarbamate mono - benzyl ester of ( s )- aspartic acid in methylene chloride . peptide coupling was affected by the addition of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , n - hydroxybenzotriazole , and n - ethylmorpholine at 0 ° c ., and then allowing the reaction mixture to warm to room temperature . the coupled dipeptide was then subjected to trifluoroacetic acid to remove the tert - butylcarbamate protecting group . the trifluoroacetate salt was exchanged to a p - toluenesulfonate salt , and the sulfonate salt was then coupled to the o - benzyl ether n - tert - butylcarbamate derivative of ( s )- tyrosine using dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , n - hydroxybenzotriazole , and n - ethylmorpholine at 0 ° c . in tetrahydrofuran . the fully protected dipeptide amidederivative was obtained in 60 % yield after chromatography . deprotection of the tert - butylcarbamate was realized with trifluoroacetic acid , and the benzyl ether and benzyl esters were simultaneously removed by hydrogenolysis ( hydrogen at 1 atm using pd / c as catalyst ) in ethanol . the unprotected dipeptide amide , compound 3 , was obtained in 70 % yield . all new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods ( infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ) and combustion analysis . pyrrolidine was combined with the n - tert - butylcarbamate mono - benzyl ester of ( s )- aspartic acid in methylene chloride . amide coupling was affected by the addition of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , n - hydroxybenzotriazole , and n - ethylmorpholine at 0 ° c ., and then allowing the reaction mixture to warm to room temperature . the protected amino acid amide derivative was then subjected to trifluoroacetic acid to remove the tert - butylcarbamate protecting group . the trifluoroacetate salt was then coupled to the o - benzyl ether n - tert - butylcarbamate derivative of ( s )- tyrosine using dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , n - hydroxybenzotriazole , and n - ethylmorpholine at 0 ° c . in tetrahydrofuran . the fully protected dipeptide amide derivative was obtained in 54 % yield after chromatography . deprotection of the tert - butylcarbamate was realized with trifluoroacetic acid and the benzyl ether and benzyl ester were simultaneously removed by hydrogenolysis ( hydrogen at 1 atm using pd / c as catalyst ) in ethanol . the dipeptide amide , compound 4 , was obtained in 60 % yield . all new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods ( infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ) and combustion analysis . the benzyl ester of ( s )- proline hydrochloride was combined with the n - tert - butylcarbamate mono - benzyl ester of ( r )- aspartic acid in methylene chloride . peptide coupling was affected by the addition of bop (( benzotriazol - 1 - yloxy ) tris ( dimethylamino )- phosphonium hexafluorophosphate ) and diisopropylethylamine at 0 ° c ., and then allowing the reaction mixture to warm to room temperature . the coupled dipeptide was then subjected to trifluoroacetic acid to remove the tert - butylcarbamate protecting group . the amine trifluoroacetate salt was then combined with 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionic acid , diisopropylethylamine and bop (( benzotriazol - 1 - yloxy ) tris ( dimethylamino )- phosphonium hexafluorophosphate ) in methylene chloride at 0 ° c . the dipeptide amide derivative was obtained in 73 % overall yield . the benzyl esters were then cleaved by hydrogenolysis ( hydrogen at 1 atm using pd / c as catalyst ) in ethanol . the free diacid dipeptide amide , compound 5 , was obtained in 92 % yield . all new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods ( infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ) and combustion analysis . pyrrolidine was combined with the n - tert - butylcarbamate mono - benzyl ester of ( s )- aspartic acid in methylene chloride . amide coupling was affected by the addition of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , n - hydroxybenzotriazole , and n - ethylmorpholine at 0 ° c ., and then allowing the reaction mixture to warm to room temperature . the protected amino acid amide derivative was then subjected to trifluoroacetic acid to remove the tert - butylcarbamate protecting group . the trifluoroacetate salt was then coupled to 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionic acid using diisopropylethylamine and bop (( benzotriazol - 1 - yloxy ) tris ( dimethylamino )- phosphonium hexafluorophosphate ) in methylene chloride at 0 ° c . the benzyl ester was then cleaved by hydrogenolysis ( hydrogen at 1 atm using pd / c as catalyst ) in ethanol . the free acid dipeptide amide , compound 6 , was obtained in 96 % yield . all new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods ( infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ) and combustion analysis . dihydrocinnamic acid was combined with the hydrochloride salt of ethyl 3 - aminopropionate in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide , triethylamine , and a catalytic amount of 4 - n , n - dimethylaminopyridine in methylene chloride . the ester - amide intermediate was purified by chromatography and then subjected to saponification using sodium hydroxide in methanol / water at room temperature . the acid , compound 20 , was obtained in 77 % yield . all new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods ( infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ) and combustion analysis . compound 21 was prepared in substantially the same fashion as compound 20 by substitution of 3 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propionic acid for dihydrocinnamic acid in the first step of the sequence . all new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods ( infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ) and combustion analysis . compound 22 was prepared in substantially the same fashion as compound 20 by substitution of 3 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl ) propionic acid for dihydrocinnamic acid in the first step of the sequence . all new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods ( infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ) and combustion analysis . 2 - phenylethyl amine was combined with succinic anhydride and triethylamine in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature . the reaction mixture was then subjected to an aqueous work - up and acidified to ph 3 using dilute aqueous hydrochloric acid . compound 23 was isolated in 65 % yield . all new compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods ( infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance ) and combustion analysis . the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention , and is not to be construed as limiting thereof . the invention is defined by the following claims , with equivalents of the claims to be included therein . | 2 |
a major disadvantage is associated with the use of fluorinated pyromellitates as soil and water repellents . the disadvantage is that fluorinated soil and water repellents are very expensive to produce . the high cost of production of fluorinated soil and water repellents is directly related to the high cost of fluorinated alcohol starting materials . therefore , the discovery of compounds that are inexpensive in comparison to the fluorinated compounds and which may be used as diluents for the fluorinated compounds would be advantageous . this would be true , of course , only if the mixtures formed by the addition of a diluent were found to impart soil and water repelling characteristics to fibers that parallel the soil and water repelling characteristics imparted to fibers treated with only fluorocarbon compounds . we have surprisingly discovered that hydrocarbon esters of pyromellitic dianhydride when used in admixture with partially fluorinated esters of pyromellitic dianhydride disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 209 , 610 ( mares et al ., 1980 ) result in a mixture that imparts soil and oil repelling characteristics to fibers that parallel soil and oil repelling characteristics imparted to fibers containing only the compounds of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 209 , 610 . this finding was most unexpected as our own experimental work had demonstrated that the use of hydrocarbon esters of pyromellitic dianhydride by themselves did not impart soil and oil repelling characteristics to fibers . furthermore , this discovery was additionally unexpected due to the fact our experimental work had also demonstrated that compounds prepared by reacting pyromellitic dianhydride with a mixture of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon alcohols also did not impart equivalent soil and oil repelling characteristics to fibers . the novel hydrocarbon compounds of the present invention are represented by the general structure ## str3 ## or mixtures thereof wherein b is coochohch 2 q where q is cl , oh , h , or br and d is cow ( ch 2 ) n ch 3 , with w being -- o --, -- nh --, -- s -- or -- n ( ch 3 )--, and n is an integer from 2 to 24 . in the preferred embodiments of this invention q in the above formula is cl , w is 0 , and n is 1 to 6 . another embodiment of this invention is the use of the above - described pyromellitates alone where n is 14 to 20 as water repelling agents . in the preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention , n is 17 . the longer chain hydrocarbon pyromellitates are extremely hydrophobic and are very desirable water repelling compounds . the use of these compounds as water repelling agents is illustrated in example 4 of this application . the above - described hydrocarbon esters may be synthesized in general by initially reacting an alkanol with pyromellitic dianhydride to form an intermediate diester - diacid . this intermediate is then reacted with an epoxide containing radical to synthesize the desired hydrocarbon ester compound . the procedure for synthesizing the compounds of this invention is essentially the same as that described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 209 , 610 for the compounds disclosed by that patent , except that instead of using fluorinated alcohols and fluorinated amines , the compounds of this invention require saturated hydrocarbon alcohols and saturated hydrocarbon amines . in the preferred embodiments of this invention the novel hydrocarbon esters of pyromellitic dianhydride are combined with the partially fluorinated esters of pyromellitic dianhydride disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 209 , 610 to form mixtures of the described esters . the mixtures are formed by simply dissolving the esters in a common solvent to form a homogeneous solution . suitable solvents for forming the solutions include chloroform , dioxane , acetone , and other similar solvents . the fluorinated esters of pyromellitic dianhydride useful for the practice of this invention have the general structure ## str4 ## or mixtures thereof wherein a is cowx ( cf 2 ) p cf 3 with w being -- o --, -- nh --, -- s -- or -- n ( ch 3 )--; wherein x is alkylene of 1 - 6 carbons and p is from 3 to 15 with b being of the formula cooch 2 chohch 2 q ; wherein q is cl , oh , h , or br . the preferred fluorinated pyromellitates for the practice of this invention are those derived from fluorinated hydrocarbyl ethanols represented by the formula cf 3 ( cf 2 ) p ch 2 ch 2 o -- where p is a commercial mixture of 3 - 15 , but is preferably 3 - 13 . slightly less preferred are those derived from fluorinated hydrocarbyl propanols and from fluorinated hydrocarbyl butanols . substituents a with alkylenes of 1 - 6 carbons other than 1 , 2 - ethylene , 1 , 2 - propylene or 1 - 4 - butylene may also be used , but are less preferred . the novel mixtures of the present invention comprise between about 20 and 50 weight percent of the non - fluorinated ester of pyromellitic dianhydride , and between about 50 and 80 weight percent of the fluorinated ester of pyromellitic dianhydride . in the preferred embodiments of this invention the novel compositions contain between about 30 and 35 weight percent of the non - fluorinated ester of pyromellitic dianhydride and between about 65 and 70 weight percent of the fluorinated ester of pyromellitic dianhydride . the mixtures of the present invention may be incorporated into nylon and polyethylene terephthalate fibrers according to the procedure described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 209 , 610 . in general , incorporation of the compositions into such fibers is accomplished by contacting such fibers with a liquid emulsion , dispersion or solution which contains a composition as described above , and thereafter usually heating this fiber sufficiently to develop water and oil repellency thereof which is retained at least in substantial part after five standard dry cleaning cycles and after five standard home laundering cycles . into a dry one liter round bottom flask fitted with a thermometer , stirring bar , water cooled condenser , dropping funnel and a bleed of dry nitrogen to maintain an anhydrous atmosphere , was added pyromellitic dianhydride ( 81 . 3 g , 0 . 373 mol ) and dry 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone ( 75 ml ). 1 - hexanol ( 76 . 2 g , 0 . 746 mol ) was added over about 20 minutes and the exothermic reaction was not allowed to go above 54 ° c . the reaction mixture was then stirred under nitrogen at a constant temperature of 45 ° c . for 22 hours to insure complete reaction . triethyl amine ( 3 . 1 ml ) was added as catalyst , the temperature was raised to 55 ° c . and epichlorohydrin ( 175 ml , 2 . 24 mol ) was added via a dropping funnel over 45 minutes . the reaction was monitored by following the disappearance of carboxyl groups by titration and was complete within 6 . 5 hours . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and then poured into well agitated ice water ( 2500 ml ) and stirred for 30 minutes to extract water soluble material . the washing procedure was repeated once with fresh ice water and the product was then taken up in a mixture of dichloromethane ( 200 ml ) and dichloroethane ( 100 ml ). the solution was filtered and flash evaporated with the product ( 210 . 4 g , 0 . 304 mol ) being recovered as a very viscous red - brown liquid . the structure was confirmed by proton nmr . the procedure was essentially the same as that described in example 1 . the pyromellitic dianhydride ( 32 . 7 g , 0 . 15 mol ) in 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone ( 25 ml ) was reacted with ethanol ( 17 . 5 ml , 0 . 3 mol ) and the intermediate diester - diacid was further reacted with epichlorohydrin ( 70 . 34 ml , 0 . 9 mol ) and with triethylamine ( 1 . 25 ml ) as catalyst at 55 ° c . the reaction was complete in six hours and the product ( 64 . 9 g ) was recovered as before . the structure was confirmed by proton nmr . four solutions were prepared in acetone in order to determine the oil repellency of nylon - 6 tricot fabric that was treated with one of the four solutions . the first solution contained 0 . 1 % of the commercially available difluoroalkyl - dichlorohydrin tetraester of example 1 as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 321 , 403 ( oxenider et al ., 1982 ) hereinafter referred to as dsr . the second solution contained 0 . 15 % dsr . the third solution contained 0 . 1 % dsr and 0 . 05 % of the product from example 2 of this application hereinafter referred to as h2dsr . the fourth solution contained 0 . 1 % dsr and 0 . 05 % of the product from example 1 of this application hereinafter referred to as h1dsr . four nylon swatches were each dipped in only one of the solutions , air dried for one hour , and then annealed in a circulating air oven at 120 ° c . for 0 . 5 hours . the initial oil repellency was determined by the standard aatcc oil droplet test , and again after subsequent laundering in an automatic washing machine and drying in an electric dryer . the fabric swatches were not ironed after drying . the results appear in table i . the oil repellency values in table 1 correspond to the rating values utilized for oil repellency by the american assocation of textile colorists and chemists . table i______________________________________ oil repellencies no . of cyclesadditive 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7______________________________________ . 1 % dsr 7 7 7 6 5 2 . 15 % dsr 7 7 7 6 6 5 4 1 . 1 % dsr + . 05 % h2dsr 7 7 6 6 6 4 2 . 1 % dsr + . 05 % h1dsr 7 6 6 5 4 4 4 4______________________________________ to a dry 200 ml round bottom flask , n 2 atmosphere , was added pyromellitic dianhydride ( 10 . 9 g , 0 . 05 mol ), 1 - octadecanol ( 27 . 1 g , 0 . 1 mol ) and dmf ( 27 ml ). react at 45 ° c . for 22 hours . the reaction mixture had set up and was heated to 60 ° c . to liquify . epicholorhydrin ( 23 . 5 ml , 0 . 29 mol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 42 ml ) were added and within 5 . 25 hours the reaction was completed . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and poured into rapidly - agitated ice water ( 1200 ml ). the water was decanted and the precipitate was washed four additional times . the product was recovered by filtration and was dried under vacuum yielding 38 . 2 grams of a cream colored solid . the structure was confirmed by proton nmr . 0 . 5 % was coated on nylon 6 tricot fabric as previously described . there was no oil repellency by aatcc test . however , the aatcc water spray test indicated a water repellency that was somewhat stable to home laundering . the results appear in table ii . table ii______________________________________ cycles spray rating______________________________________ 0 90 1 90 2 80 3 70 4 50 5 0______________________________________ | 2 |
fig1 shows a system for the implementation of the invention , wherein a computer 101 is connected to a printer 102 by means of a series or parallel link 103 . this printer is provided with a cartridge 104 that takes the place of a normal font cartridge but enables the printing , upon a command from the computer , of legitimate franking marks . this cartridge is preferably of the pcmcia type meeting the iso 7816 standard . the cartridge 104 , in its memory , has the statutory franking marks which are memorized in the format expected by the printer , namely for example a pixel matrix format called a &# 34 ; rasterized &# 34 ; format or a bezier curve format called a &# 34 ; vectorized &# 34 ; format . as we have seen further above , this does not entail any difficulty per se . to obtain , on the contrary , the necessary security and prevent the fraudulently reconstituted or misused image of these marks from being borrowed in another freely accessible cartridge , the cartridge comprises a security system that associates an additional original security mark with each franking mark , when this franking mark is called up by the printer to be printed , the additional original security mark being associated with this franking mark and with this franking mark alone . this security mark could then be recognized by the post office provided with appropriate reading systems and it will authenticate the franking mark . this security mark may be formed by any desired type of graphics . the preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention proposes the use , as the simplest variant , of a bar code representing a series of numbers and / or characters whose decoding will authenticate the franking mark . the association between the franking mark and the security mark will be done according to a cryptographic system whose key will be known only to the post office and could be , for example , the key described in the patent application filed by the present applicant under ser . no . 91 / 11275 published on 19 mar . 1993 under u . s . pat . no . 2 , 681 , 490 . in view of the very small size of the cartridge and of its use in a standard printer , it is quite desirable to secure its utilization in order to reserve its use for the legitimate holder . for this purpose , one embodiment given by way of an illustration proposes the use of a system of security access such as the one described in the patent application filed by the present applicant under ser . no . 92 / 00321 . thus , when the cartridge is inserted into the printer , it will be able to deliver the franking marks and the corresponding security marks only after the entering of a secret code number known only to the legitimate user . the cartridge will therefore use circuits of an already known type enabling the implementation of these security systems . it will furthermore comprise the devices , which are themselves known , that enable it to be shielded from physical tampering wherein , for example , it would be opened with a view to the reconstituting of the contents of the memories and the specialized protection integrated circuits . the security mark will therefore comprise , in an encrypted form , all the particulars needed for identifying the cartridge and hence its possessor , i . e . essentially an identification number . it could furthermore comprise particulars pertaining to date and time enabling the subsequently used checking devices to compare the date and the time that may be printed on the franking mark so as to detect any attempts at fraud in a relatively simple way . these particulars could be obtained in the cartridge in this case by means of a clock saved by a long - life battery , according to a known method . this clock could then be used to restrict the duration of use of the cartridge , for example in the case of a fixed - price and fixed - period franking contract or , to oblige the user of the cartridge to have it checked at regular intervals . the latter point will be especially useful for the more frequent case where the cartridge has a counter that increments the fee units as and when it is used , as this counter will have to be read by the post office so that the user can be invoiced . in an ordinary printer , when a font of characters is loaded into the central memory of the printer from the cartridge , the printer makes routine use of the font thus stored until it receives an instruction ordering it to reload another font . naturally , in the case of the use of the printer to frank an envelope and if this payment of the franking is done per unit , it is necessary to reload the font at each printing of the franking mark and of its associated security mark since the latter has to be unique . it is then upon reception of this reloading command that the counter contained in the cartridge , when the payment is done per unit , will get incremented . for this purpose , the most practical method is to make provision , in the franking printer software contained in the computer connected to the printer , for an instruction that enforces this reloading of a cartridge . this software , which is itself very simple , will preferably be supplied by the postal authority along with the cartridge . since most users are trustworthy and are not very well informed about computers , the possibilities of fraud wherein action will be taken in this program to remove this instruction will be very limited . the deterrence of fraudulent individuals if any will take place at the central postal authority level during the checking of the security marks , when two or more security marks are detected whereas there should be only one of them . fig2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the electronic circuits forming a cartridge such as this . in a package 104 , terminated on one side by a connector 201 , there is assembled a set of memory circuits 202 storing the fonts and fixed data elements such as the identification numbers , and capable of storing variable data elements such as the number of fee units consumed since the cartridge was put into operation . these memories are connected to the connector 201 by an interface circuit 203 that , in particular , enables the decoding of the commands and addresses coming from the printer through the connector 201 , according to a hardware and software interface that will depend on the printer and will preferably follow the pcmcia standard . the link between this interface circuit and the memories will be parallel - connected to a security circuit 204 of a known type as referred to here above , which is furthermore connected to the memories 202 . this circuit will carry out a detection , on the link between the interface circuit and the memories , of the signals ordering the reading of a franking font and , in this case , will implement the security procedure . if this security procedure is followed , it will compute the variable elements of the security mark and send them to the memories so that they are then read after the font corresponding to the franking mark . if the security procedure is not followed , it will block the reading of the memories both directly and by means of the interface circuit . as a variant , one embodiment given by way of an example also proposes a hardware approach to prevent these problems as shown in fig3 . as can be seen in this figure , the computer 101 is connected to the printer 102 not directly but by means of the franking cartridge 304 . for this purpose , this cartridge has connectors designed to be connected to external links . one of these connectors is designed to receive a link 303 coming from the computer 101 , of the series or parallel type as the case may be . the other connector is designed to receive a link 305 which is itself connected to the normal input of the printer 102 . this link 305 , here too , is a series or parallel link depending on the normal input connector of the printer . the cartridge 304 then has circuits enabling the detection of each request for the printing of a franking mark and then the transmission , on the link 305 , of a command for reloading a font of characters to the printer 102 . the printer control signals will , besides , be retransmitted from the link 303 to the link 305 so that the printer works normally . the only difference as compared with a direct link as in fig1 therefore consists , for the additional circuits of the cartridge 304 , in interrupting the link coming from the computer by sending it a &# 34 ; printer not ready &# 34 ; signal for the time during which the font is getting recharged . this is done very speedily by the connector which provides a direct link between the cartridge and the printer . during this stopping time , the cartridge first of all sends a font reloading signal to the printer through the link 305 . this gives rise to an incrementing of the counter of the cartridge . when the font is reloaded , the cartridge again sends the computer a &# 34 ; printer ready &# 34 ; signal and lets through the control signals from the link 303 to the link 305 . thus , for the computer , the link through the cartridge 304 is quite transparent , from both the logic and the electrical points of view . consequently , when the computer has to order the printer to print normal text , the action of the cartridge 304 is totally undetected since it comes into play only in detecting a command for the printing of a franking mark . it is even quite possible to make provision , in the cartridge 304 , for unprotected ordinary fonts that may be loaded directly as chosen by the user without the action of devices for protecting the franking fonts . although the different varieties of cartridges or printers are tending to get unified and , more especially , are tending to evolve towards the pcmcia standard , there still exists a large number of them . to then avert the need for the postal department to procure and handle large numbers of cartridges of different formats , one embodiment given by way of an illustration proposes , by way of a variant , to separate at least a part of the security elements in order to introduce them into a standardized packet for use by all . this packet could be , for example , of the pcmcia type or even more simply it could have the bank credit card format defined by the iso 7816 standard or possibly meeting the so - called etsi gsm plug - in standard . fig4 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of this variant comprising a cartridge 114 designed to be connected to the printer by a connector 401 and a standard ancillary card called a chip card 124 designed to be connected to the cartridge 114 by means of a connector 421 that gets connected to an external connector 411 of the cartridge ( in fact the form of these connectors which is well known is quite different from that of the figure ). in this variant , the security circuit 404 contained in the cartridge is a public type of circuit no . 1 , namely a circuit comprising keys that are accessible to everybody . it is connected to a security circuit no . 2 , referenced 414 , contained in the chip card 124 which , for its part , is a circuit reserved for the authority distributing the card . this circuit is secured by the usual systems so that it cannot be tampered with . this separation into two separate circuits , one having the public key and the other the secret key , is well known in the prior art . the chip card further comprises a memory 405 comprising in particular the credits allocated by the authority as well as , possibly , a number of other specific data elements such as , for example , the duration of use . consequently , only the detachable part corresponding to the chip card 124 has to be managed by the postal authority , which greatly facilitates its job . the individual user of the system for his part has to procure the cartridge 114 directly , for example from the manufacturer of the printer . as we have seen further above , the loading of the fonts between the cartridge and the memory of the printer is very speedy , as compared with the method , used sometimes , of the remote loading of fonts from the computer . by contrast , the computing of the security mark by the specialized security circuit may require a certain amount of time , given firstly the length of the computations needed to use a truly secured algorithm and , secondly , the time needed for the formation , from the codes thus obtained , of the pattern forming the security mark proper . however , as and when the numbers representing the pattern of the security mark emerge from the specialized security circuit , these numbers are stored and , with the franking mark , they form the full pattern which will subsequently be transmitted to the printer . thus , there is nothing to prevent the advance preparation of the next security mark and its storage in a second memory where it will be ready to be called up if need be , possibly as soon as the previous mark has been printed . for this purpose , in one variant of an embodiment of the invention shown in fig5 the memory of the cartridge is subdivided into two distinct arrays 212 and 222 that are accessible separately . the points of access to these arrays are managed by a memory array switch - over logic 501 that switches over after each printing of a franking mark and its associated security mark . this logic enables direct access by one of the arrays to the printer to print the franking mark with its security mark , and access by the other array to the security circuit to load the next security mark . at the end of the loading of the font contained in the memory called for a franking operation , the logic switches over and reverses the types of access to the two memory arrays . this variant is especially useful when , as is often the case for reasons of cost , one and the same printer is being shared among several computers . it is possible to envisage the use , as is common , of an automatic change - over switch whose output is connected either to the printer or to the cartridge according to one of the two variants corresponding to fig1 and 3 . however , by way of a variant and in order to enable discriminating among the rights of access of the different computers connected to the printer , one embodiment of the invention proposes the use of a structure similar to that shown in fig6 . in this structure , the franking system is divided into two parts , a cartridge 614 proper introduced into the ad - hoc location of the printer 102 and a franking pack 624 that is external to the printer and to the computers 611 , 621 and 631 that share this printer . the electronic circuits of the franking system will be distributed between the cartridge 614 and the pack 624 which has a sufficient number of connectors to be connected to the different computers . this variant uses the structure corresponding to the variant of fig3 where the commands for the printer go through the franking system . the pack 624 therefore has a link 603 with the cartridge 614 and a direct link 605 with the main input connector of the printer 102 . the distribution of the electronic circuits between the pack and the cartridge could be variable but , preferably , the main security circuits and circuits for the storage of variable data elements such as the utilisation credits will be left in the cartridge according to the variant of fig4 . in this way , the relations with the postal authority could be limited to the transportation of the cartridge 614 which , principle , will be more compact than the pack 624 . the loading of entitlement credits into the cartridge could be done according to a system of pre - payment as well as according to a system of post - payment . in a system of pre - payment , a franking entitlement , represented for example in the form of a monetary value , is loaded into the cartridge and , as and when the cartridge is used , the security circuit decrements the value of this entitlement credit . when this value reaches zero , the cartridge refuses to print . it is quite possible to provide for the possibility of consulting this value through the computer in order to make provision , sufficiently in advance , for the reloading of the entitlement credits . this loading could be done , for example , as a complement to the entitlement credits remaining in the cartridge so that there is no interruption in the middle of the job . in a system of post - payment , on the contrary , a counter is incremented as and when there are successive users of the cartridge and this counter is brought back to the issuing authority which reads the value therein and then issues an invoice . to prevent abuses , it is possible to make provision , in the post - payment system , for a ceiling beyond which the system shuts down , or for a limit date of use . in practice , the pre - payment and the post - payment systems correspond above all to different business operations on the part of the postal authority which may very well , in the case of post - payment , require a deposit which will in fact fulfil the same role as prior payment in the pre - payment system . the consultation by the authority of the counting memories of the cartridge as well as the loading of the different entitlement credits will be done according to different modalities of secured transaction which are well known , especially in the context of memory cards . | 6 |
before describing the present invention and in order to further the understanding of the latter , a prior art variable reactance circuit will be described with reference to fig1 a and 1b . as shown on fig1 a , such prior art variable reactance circuit includes a constant current source 1 and a diode 2 connected in series between an operating voltage source + v cc and ground , a transistor 3 whose emitter electrode is grounded , a control voltage source 4 connected between the base electrode of transistor 3 and the anode electrode of diode 2 , and a capacitor 5 connected between the collector electrode of the transistor 3 and the anode of the diode 2 . further , as hereinafter described in detail , a suitable collector load 6 is connected between the collector electrode of transistor 3 and the operating voltage source + v cc . an equivalent to the variable reactance circuit of fig1 a can be as shown on fig1 b . if in the circuit of fig1 b , the current flowing from a signal source e in into a variable reactance circuit is i in ; the current flowing from the signal source e in through a capacitive reactance z c into an amplifier a is i i 1 ; the output current from the amplifier a is i 2 ; and the forward current gain of the amplifier a is β ; then the following relationships are established : ## equ1 ## accordingly , the total impedance z in of the circuit viewed from the signal source to the load is expressed as follows : ## equ2 ## one of the practical circuits which may change the current gain of the amplifier a is the circuit shown in fig1 a . if in the circuit of fig1 a , i s represents the saturation current of transistor 3 and diode 2 ; i out represents the collector current of transistor 3 ; and i in represents the current flowing into diode 2 ; then the following equations ( 2 ), ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) are obtained : ## equ3 ## from equations ( 3 ) and ( 4 ), the collector current i out of transistor 3 is expressed as follows : ## equ4 ## since β is expressed by the following equation ( 6 ) ## equ5 ## the following equation ( 7 ) is obtained by substituting equation ( 6 ) in equation ( 1 ). ## equ6 ## if the capacitance of the capacitor 5 is c o , the input impedance of transistor 3 , that is , the impedance of transistor 3 between its collector electrode and the ground , is expressed as follows : ## equ7 ## as may be apparent from equation ( 8 ), the input impedance z in can be varied by the control voltage e b and a variable capacitance can be obtained as the input impedance . however , with the variable reactance circuit shown in fig1 a , the signal current i in is supplied to transistor 3 from its collector , so that if the output impedance of the variable reactance circuit is not great , the signal current i in flows into the collector load 6 to lower the efficiency of the circuit as a capacitive reactance circuit . accordingly , the described prior art variable reactance circuit generally requires a large coil as the collector load 6 of transistor 3 , as shown on fig1 a , and hence it is not suited to be formed as an integrated circuit . further , in the variable reactance circuit of fig1 a , when the control voltage e b is zero ( e b = 0 ), β = 1 ; and when e b = ∞ β = 0 , or the variable range of β is 1 ˜ 0 and the input impedance z in expressed by equation ( 8 ) is determined by c o . further , if it is desired to obtain a large capacitance , the capacitance of capacitor 5 must be made great , which also makes it difficult to use integrated circuit techniques for forming the circuit . the prior art circuit also requires a relatively high dc voltage , and accordingly , it becomes difficult to directly connect the circuit to the next stage , such as , an oscillator or the like . the theoretical basis for circuits according to the present invention will now be described with reference to fig2 a . in the circuit shown on fig2 a , a transistor 7 has its emitter electrode grounded and its collector electrode connected with a load 8 . a reactance element 9 is connected between the collector and base electrodes of transistor 7 . in such a circuit , the input impedance z in &# 39 ; viewed from the base electrode of transistor 7 , or betweem such base electrode and the ground , is expressed in the following manner . more particularly , if the mutual conductance of transistor 7 is gm ; the impedance of load 8 is r l ; the reactance of reactance element 9 is z c &# 39 ;; the input voltage is e &# 39 ; in ; the output voltage taken is e &# 39 ; out ; the input current is i &# 39 ; 1 + i ; 40 2 ; and if the input impedance of transistor 7 is assumed to be sufficiently great , the following relationships are established : ## equ8 ## since the input impedance of transistor 7 is assumed to be sufficiently great , an equivalent to the circuit shown on fig2 a can be as shown on fig2 c . accordingly , the input impedance z &# 39 ; in of transistor 7 is expressed as follows : ## equ9 ## if the elements are selected to satisfy the condition z &# 39 ; c & gt ;& gt ; r l , equation ( 9 ) may be rewritten as follows : ## equ10 ## as will be apparent from equation ( 10 ), if the mutual conductance gm of transistor 7 is changed by the control signal , the reactance component which is varied in accordance with the control signal can be obtained as the input impedance z &# 39 ; in . a practical embodiment of the invention based upon the above theory will now be described with reference to fig3 in which reference numerals 7a and 7b indicate transistors which form a differential amplifier . the transistor 7a has a load resistor 10 connected to its collector electrode and a capacitor 11 as a reactance element connected between its collector and base electrodes , that is , capacitor 11 functions similarly to reactance 9 connected between the collector and base electrodes of transistor 7 on fig2 a . the emitter electrodes of transistors 7a and 7b are connected together to the collector electrode of a transistor 13 whose emitter electrode is grounded through a resistor 14 and whose base electrode is connected with a source 15 of a control signal which is superposed on a dc component provided by a source 15a . in fig3 the variable reactance circuit according to the invention is shown associated with an oscillator 17 which includes a transistor 16 . a ceramic vibrator 18 is connected to a feedback path between the emitter and base electrodes of transistor 16 , and the base electrode of transistor 16 is connected to the base electrode of transistor 7a . the base electrodes of transistor 7b and of transistors 7a and 16 are supplied with a dc bias through resistors 19 and 20 , respectively . the dc bias is produced by a transistor 22 whose base electrode is connected with a dc voltage source 21 and a resistor 23 connected between the emitter electrode of the transistor 22 and the ground . further , a capacitor 24 for decoupling is connected to the base electrode of transistor 7b . with the circuit shown on fig3 if the impedance value of load resistor 10 is r l ; and the reactance of capacitor 11 is z &# 39 ; c ; then the input impedance z &# 39 ; i of transistor 7a , as viewed from its base electrode , can be expressed by the following equation ( 11 ) which is similar to equation ( 10 ): ## equ11 ## if the current flowing through transistor 13 is i ; and the emitter resistance of each of transistors 7a and 7b is r e ; then the input impedance z &# 39 ; d of the differential amplifier constituted by transistors 7a and 7b is expressed as follows : in general , the emitter resistance r e of each of the transistors 7a and 7b which form the differential amplifier is expressed as follows : ## equ12 ## where k is the boltzmann &# 39 ; s constant ; t the absolute temperature ; and q is the electron charge . therefore , if equation ( 13 ) is substituted in equation ( 12 ), z &# 39 ; d is rewritten as follows : ## equ13 ## accordingly , if i b is the base current of transistor 7a , the output voltage e &# 39 ; out of transistor 7a is expressed as follows : ## equ14 ## since the term at the right - hand side of equation ( 15 ) must become equal to gm . r l . e &# 39 ; in , the mutual conductance gm of the differential amplifier is expressed as follows : ## equ15 ## if equation ( 16 ) is substituted in equation ( 11 ), the following equation ( 17 ) is obtained . ## equ16 ## in the embodiment of fig3 if the capacitance of capacitor 11 is c , the reactance z &# 39 ; c is (- j1 / wc ). as will be apparent from equation ( 18 ), z &# 39 ; i depends upon the factor - j or is a capacitive component . accordingly , the whole circuit within the block 25 shown in broken lines on fig3 can be considered equivalent to a variable capacitance c &# 39 ; which , as is shown in broken lines on fig3 is connected in parallel to the ceramic vibrator 18 of oscillator 17 . this variable capacitance c &# 39 ; is varied in proportion to the control current i , and hence the oscillation frequency of oscillator 17 may be varied in response to changes in the control current . fig4 shows another embodiment of this invention in which elements corresponding to those shown on fig6 are identified by the same reference numerals . in the circuit 25 &# 39 ; of fig4 an emitter - follower transistor 26 , having a current amplification factor β , is connected between capacitor 11 and the collector of transistor 7a as a buffer load , and the remainder of the circuit is substantially the same as that shown on fig3 . with the circuit 25 &# 39 ; of fig4 the equation corresponding to equation ( 9 ) is as follows : ## equ18 ## it will be seen that the above equation ( 19 ) is similar to equation ( 10 ), so that the term r l in equation ( 19 ) can be more reasonably neglected . when the variable reactance circuit 25 or 25 &# 39 ; according to the invention is connected to oscillator 17 , as on fig3 and the control signal source 15 is a modulating signal source , an fm modulated signal can be obtained at an output terminal t 1 connected to the collector electrode of transistor 16 . further , in a variable reactance circuit 25 &# 34 ; according to this invention as shown on fig5 and which may be otherwise similar to the circuit 25 described above with reference to fig3 a tank circuit 10 &# 34 ; may be used in place of the load resistor 10 on fig3 and 4 , or in addition to such load resistor . when such tank circuit 10 &# 34 ; is employed , it is selected to have its impedance variation in the direction opposed to the direction of impedance variation of the equivalent tank circuit contained in the ceramic vibrator 18 of oscillator 17 , that is , the impedance of tank circuit 10 &# 34 ; varies inversely in respect to the impedance of the equivalent tank circuit of oscillator 17 , so that the output of oscillator 17 will have a constant amplitude . therefore , when the variable reactance circuit 25 &# 34 ; is used with the oscillator 17 as an fm modulator , the fm modulated output has a constant amplitude and there is no need to provide a limiter therefor . further , if desired , in a variable reactance circuit according to this invention , a coil may be used as the reactance element in place of the capacitor 11 , for example , as indicated at 11 &# 34 ; on fig5 . although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 7 |
referring initially to prior art fig1 , a cross sectional view shows a wellbore 11 having vertical section 11 a and horizontal section 11 b . wellbore 11 provides a flow path between the well surface and producing sand or reservoir 31 . tubing string 13 and slotted liner 15 are also shown in fig1 . the horizontal section 11 b of tubing string 13 includes a heel portion 13 a and an opposite toe portion 13 b . slotted liner 15 is a completion device lining horizontal section 11 b of wellbore 11 and is typically isolated by a lead seal 17 from vertical section 11 a of wellbore 11 . live steam is supplied via tubing string 13 and exits from toe portion 13 b at end 19 . the steam flow is as indicated by arrows 21 . direct impingement of live steam onto slotted liner 15 at the area numbered 23 can potentially cause erosion and collapse of the liner 15 , which is an undesirable condition . also , using this technique the steams &# 39 ; heat is concentrated near toe portion 13 b in areas 25 and 27 of reservoir 31 rather than along the length of slotted liner 15 . referring now to prior art fig2 , wellbore 29 has vertical section 29 a , which goes to the surface , and horizontal section 29 b that penetrates a long horizontal section of producing sand or reservoir 31 . slotted liner 37 lines horizontal section 29 b of wellbore 29 . tubing string 33 is run in from the surface and , on the lower end thereof is plugged off by plug 35 . the horizontal section 29 b of tubing string 33 includes a heel portion 33 a and an opposite toe portion 33 b . the length of tubing string 33 , prior to the plug 35 , is provided with spaced apart drilled holes 39 along its entire horizontal section between heel portion 33 a and toe portion 33 b . each drilled hole 39 is covered with a sacrificial impingement strap 41 . sacrificial impingement straps 41 are constructed of a carbon steel material and may be ceramic coated if desired . sacrificial impingement straps 41 are welded to tubing string 33 with an offset above each drilled hole 39 . a steam generator source ( not shown ) is located at the surface and provides an input of steam into tubing string 33 . the steam travels down tubing string 33 to its lower horizontal section 29 b where it exits via drilled holes 39 . as will be described , while steam can exit tubing string 33 between heel portion 33 a and toe portion 33 b , uniform mass distribution and latent heat is not achieved along horizontal section 29 b . referring to fig3 , a cross - section of a portion of tubing string 33 that is located within slotted liner 37 of fig2 is shown . sacrificial impingement straps 41 are not shown in fig3 . tubing string 33 includes inner surface 43 and outer surface 45 . a plurality of drilled holes 39 extend from inner surface 43 to outer surface 45 . each drilled hole 39 extends radially outward , substantially perpendicular to inner surface 43 . typically , drilled holes 39 are intermittently spaced between heel portion 33 a and toe portion 33 b of tubing string 33 for delivering steam to reservoir 31 . a two - phase fluid f , typically steam having vaporous water and liquid water droplets d , travel through tubing string 33 for delivery into oil sands or reservoir 31 . when two - phase fluid f is under low velocity conditions , such as less than 40 feet per second , the flow is stratified . in particular , gravity causes the liquid phase to travel along the bottom portion of the pipe . when superficial vapor and liquid velocities are both low , the interface between the liquid and vapor phases is smooth . as vapor velocities begin to increase , the interface becomes wavy . as the superficial liquid velocities increase , the flow tends to form in slugs or large waves of liquid ( short in duration ) separated by stratified wavy flow . at very high superficial flow velocities , the liquid forms a ring on the inner surface of the pipe wall and the vapor travels in the center of the pipe . at high superficial vapor velocities and steam qualities , the liquid becomes entrained in the vapor core such that the pipe is filled with vapor except for small droplets of liquid mist . liquid droplets d have higher densities and thus higher momentum than the vaporous water , which restricts the ability of liquid droplets d to change direction . when liquid droplets d traveling in the main flow of fluid f encounter a smaller vapor flow , or velocity profile , toward drilled holes 39 , liquid droplets d experience a drag force to change direction . however , the momentum of liquid droplets d opposes this change of direction , thereby resulting in less movement toward drilled holes 39 . in the embodiment shown in fig3 , the liquid droplets entrained in the vapor core must make sharp , radially outward turns with respect to the flow of fluid f for liquid droplets to enter drilled holes 39 for delivery into reservoir 31 . this results in the extracted steam having less liquid droplets d such that the quality of the steam delivered at the upstream portion of tubing string 33 is different from the steam delivered to the downstream portion of tubing string 33 . in particular , more liquid droplets will be delivered toward the downstream toe portion 33 a of tubing string 33 than to heel portion 33 b . such a phenomenon is known as “ phase splitting .” in fig4 - 8 , alternative tubing configurations are provided to counteract the phase splitting described above so that more uniform quality steam is delivered to reservoir 31 from both the upstream and downstream portions of the respective tubing strings . more particularly , fig4 - 8 each show a portion of tubing sub or string of tubing 111 disposed between the heel portion and the toe portion of the horizontal section of a wellbore . as will be described , steam generated at the surface is delivered to tubing 111 for a more uniform steam quality distribution along the horizontal section of a wellbore into reservoir 31 . referring to fig4 , tubing 111 includes a plurality of openings 117 extending from inner surface 113 to outer surface 115 . openings 117 include an opening formed on inner surface 113 that defines inlet 117 a , an opening formed on outer surface 115 that defines outlet 117 b , and passageway 117 c extending between inlet 117 a and outlet 117 b such that steam received by inlet 117 a is delivered to outlet 117 b . inlet 117 a is formed in the string of tubing axially closer to the heel portion than outlet 117 b . while openings 117 are illustrated as having about fifteen degree outward angles to the flow of fluid f , it should be understood that the optimum angle for openings 117 is the smallest angle allowed by machining tools . a plurality of openings 117 are preferably intermittently spaced along the length of tubing 111 . for example , openings 117 can be positioned every 100 to 500 feet along tubing 111 . in general , spacing of openings 117 will be dependent upon the particular reservoir characteristics . one skilled in the art will appreciate that isolation between a first group of openings 117 and a second group of openings 117 can be utilized . furthermore , conventional sand control mechanisms , such as a sand screen , can be placed adjacent to openings 117 . in one embodiment , tubing 111 ends near the heel portion and openings 117 are configured in the liner . openings 117 reduce the directional change necessary for liquid droplets to enter openings 117 , thereby making it easier for liquid droplets to exit tubing 111 . in particular , when steam is received by passageway 117 c an axial momentum of the steam is maintained . accordingly , the difference in steam quality delivered from the upstream portion of tubing 111 compared with the downstream portion of tubing 111 is reduced as more liquid droplets entrained in the vapor core are able to exit openings 117 . referring to fig5 , an alternative tubing configuration is provided to counteract the segregation of vapor and liquid in fluid f so that more uniform quality steam is delivered to reservoir 31 from both the upstream and downstream portions of the respective tubing strings . as shown in fig5 , tubing 111 includes mandrel portion or tubing sub 120 with a reduced cross - sectional flow area and a plurality of openings 117 extending from inner surface 113 to outer surface 115 . openings 117 include an opening formed on inner surface 113 that defines inlet 117 a , an opening formed on outer surface 115 that defines outlet 117 b , and passageway 117 c extending between inlet 117 a and outlet 117 b such that steam received by inlet 117 a is delivered to outlet 117 b . inlet 117 a and outlet 117 b are formed at substantially the same axial locations between the heel and the toe of the string of tubing . as with the embodiment in fig4 , a plurality of openings 117 are preferably intermittently spaced along the length of tubing 111 , with each opening 117 being associated with a tubing sub 120 . tubing sub 120 includes inwardly tapered surface 121 that extends between the portion of inner surface 113 having the normal diameter of tubing 111 and reduced diameter surface 123 , which is where openings 117 are located . inwardly tapered surface 121 is located upstream of openings 117 to condition the flow of fluid f . tubing sub 120 can also include outwardly tapered surface 125 that is positioned downstream of openings 117 , and that extends from reduced diameter surface 123 to the portion of inner surface 113 having the normal diameter of tubing 111 . the reduction in the diameter of tubing 111 at inwardly tapered surface 121 increases the velocity of fluid f , while the increase in diameter from outwardly tapered surface 125 reduces the velocity of fluid f . the continued variation of the velocity of fluid f along the length of tubing 111 induces mixing of liquid droplets d with the vaporous water prior to flowing toward openings 117 . mixing fluid f can help provide a more uniform steam quality being delivered along the length of tubing 111 . by way of example , if tubing 111 were a conventional string of 4 . 5 inch tubing , inner diameter 113 would be about 3 . 96 inches . the desired velocity change could be achieved when reduced diameter surface 123 is equivalent to the inner diameter of standard 2⅜ inch tubing , which is about 2 . 44 inches . preferably inwardly and outwardly tapered surfaces 121 , 125 are at about fifteen degree respective inclines or declines . referring to fig6 , an alternative tubing configuration is shown where tubing 111 includes openings 117 extending at an angle from inner surface 113 to outer surface 115 . openings 117 include an opening formed on inner surface 113 that defines inlet 117 a , an opening formed on outer surface 115 that defines outlet 117 b , and passageway 117 c extending between inlet 117 a and outlet 117 b such that steam received by inlet 117 a is delivered to outlet 117 b . inlet 117 a is formed in the string of tubing axially closer to the heel portion than outlet 117 b . in the embodiment , the diameter of inner surface 113 adjacent openings 117 is reduced , thereby making the thickness of tubing 111 immediately upstream and downstream of openings 117 thicker than in the embodiment shown in fig4 . similar to fig5 , tubing sub 120 includes inwardly extending tapered surface 121 that extends between the portion of inner surface 113 having the normal diameter of tubing 111 and reduced diameter surface 123 , which is where openings 117 are located . inwardly tapered surface 121 is located upstream of openings 117 to condition the flow of fluid f . outwardly tapered surface 125 is positioned downstream of openings 117 and extends from reduced diameter surface 123 to the portion of inner surface 113 having the normal diameter of tubing 111 . tubing sub 120 in fig7 is substantially the same as in fig5 and 6 except that openings 117 extend axially through tubing 111 from inwardly tapered surface 121 . openings 117 include an opening formed on inner surface 113 that defines inlet 117 a , an opening formed on outer surface 115 that defines outlet 117 b , and passageway 117 c extending between inlet 117 a and outlet 117 b such that steam received by inlet 117 a is delivered to outlet 117 b . inlet 117 a is formed in the string of tubing axially closer to the heel portion than outlet 117 b . preferably , openings 117 are as close to parallel with the axial flow of fluid f as possible with machining capabilities . locating openings 117 on inwardly tapered surface 121 allows liquid droplets to enter outlets 117 with minimal deviation from the path of liquid droplets d prior to encountering reduced diameter surface 123 . for example , the inwardly tapered surface 121 can be tapered about fifteen degrees from an axis of the tubing 111 and the inlet can be about parallel to the axis of the tubing 111 . as shown in fig7 , openings 117 extend axially to an annulus 129 formed radially outward of reduced diameter surface 123 . in particular , annulus 129 is formed in the outer surface 115 of the string of tubing and extends around the circumference thereof . however , in some embodiments annulus 129 is not present and openings 117 axially extend between inwardly tapered surface 121 and outer surface 115 . the embodiment shown in fig8 is substantially the same as fig7 except that nozzles 131 are positioned in annulus 129 to receive fluid from openings 117 . nozzles 131 can be sized to more precisely control the rate of steam delivery into reservoir 31 from each opening 117 along tubing 111 . examples of nozzles 131 include an orifice with a reduced cross - section or a venturi . additionally , because nozzles 131 are controlling the rate of steam delivery in this embodiment , openings 117 can be enlarged to enhance liquid droplet d capture to a predetermined amount . the uniform steam delivery described with respect to the above embodiments can prevent steam migration into the underlying water zone or into the upper desaturated portion of the reservoir . also by delivering the steam uniformly along the entire horizontal section of the producing zone penetrated by the horizontal section of the well , any potential damage to a production liner in this horizontal bore is reduced . furthermore , the above embodiments reduce phase splitting along the horizontal section of the wellbore , thus delivering a uniform steam quality and ensuring uniform latent heat to the reservoir . the performance of alternative tubing configurations can be illustrated through the use of a two - phase flow model . in particular , fluid typically flows as a film along the wall of the pipe and as droplets entrained in the vapor core . the liquid entrainment and film thickness in a flowing pipe can be determined using the two - phase flow model . liquid entrainment can be estimated by the percent of the total liquid on the circumference of the pipe wall that is traveling at significantly lower velocity . at high superficial vapor velocities the liquid on the circumference of the pipe wall becomes entrained in the vapor core resulting in the pipe being filled with vapor and small liquid droplets d . since gravitational effects in a horizontal section creates thicker films on the bottom , often the liquid thickness is also expressed in terms of a mean film thickness , which would represent the thickness of the film if evenly distributed over the entire inner circumference . in general , if more of the liquid is entrained in the vapor , a more representative sampling or extraction of two - phase flow will occur . a two - phase flow model for 4 . 5 inch diameter tubing with a pressure of 400 psig , a mass flow rate of 1200 barrels of steam per day , and a steam quality of seventy percent ( 70 %) was performed . the calculated liquid entrainment was twenty - six percent ( 26 %), the mean liquid film thickness was 0 . 037 inches , and the bottom liquid film thickness was 0 . 14 inches . when the tubing is reduced to 3 . 5 inches and the other flow conditions are kept the same , the liquid entrainment is ninety - six percent ( 96 %), the mean liquid film thickness is 0 . 003 inches , and the bottom liquid film thickness is 0 . 008 inches . the reduced cross - section increased the calculated entrained liquid from twenty - six percent ( 26 %) to ninety - six percent ( 96 %) and greatly reduced the liquid film to yield a more evenly and predictable extraction or distribution . as will be described below , the performance of alternative tubing configurations are compared to prior art tubing string distribution assemblies using a surface horizontal steam injection facility . the horizontal steam injection facility is capable of testing a wide range of full - sized downhole completion equipment , such as tubing and liner flow control devices , at the surface under controlled conditions . additional details of the surface horizontal steam injection facility can be found in s . p . e . paper # 132410 , titled , “ addressing horizontal steam injection completions challenges with chevron &# 39 ; s horizontal steam injection test facility .” the steam quality extracted from the various tubing configurations was measured for all possible combinations of three inlet pressures , two inlet steam qualities , six inlet rates and two pressure extraction ratios . the figures below show the difference between the steam quality extracted through the device &# 39 ; s exit and the steam quality flowing in the tubing as a function of the tubing superficial vapor velocity . fig9 shows steam quality results obtained using 4 . 5 inch tubing with four one - quarter inch holes drilled perpendicular from horizontal and phased 90 degrees around the circumference . this tubing device is similar to that shown in fig3 , where liquid droplets must make a sharp 90 degree turn with respect to the flow of fluid for the liquid droplets to enter the holes for delivery into the reservoir . the range of steam quality differences between the entrance and extraction of the device has a large variation of − 15 to + 15 steam quality units . fig1 shows steam quality results obtained using a 4 . 5 inch tubing with four one - quarter inch holes drilled perpendicular from horizontal and phased 90 degrees around the circumference of a reduced 2 ″ internal diameter . improvement in the steam quality difference can be observed with the holes positioned proximate to a reduced internal diameter compared to a device without a reduced cross - section ( fig9 )— particularly at velocities greater than 40 ft / sec where the steam quality difference is maintained within a smaller steam quality difference band (− 10 to + 5 ). as previously discussed , the reduced internal diameter varies the velocity of the steam along the length of tubing , thus inducing mixing of liquid droplets with the vaporous water prior to the steam exiting via the drilled holes . fig1 shows steam quality results obtained using 4 . 5 inch tubing with four one - quarter inch holes drilled at 15 degree angles from horizontal and phased 90 degrees around the circumference of a reduced 2 ″ internal diameter . the tubing configuration used to produce the results shown in fig1 is substantially the same as the tubing configuration used to produce the results shown in fig1 except that the drilled holes are now angled at 15 degrees from horizontal . the difference between the steam quality extracted through the angled holes and the steam quality flowing through the tubing is minimized for all tubing superficial vapor velocities . in particular , the steam quality over the entire velocity range yields a tighter steam quality difference band compared to the steam quality obtained using the four one - quarter inch holes drilled perpendicular from horizontal without a reduced internal diameter as shown in fig9 . while the invention has been shown in only some of its forms , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited , but susceptible to various changes without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , tubing 111 for each of the embodiments shown in fig4 - 8 could be a tubing sub that is positioned between pairs of tubing rather than being integrated in the string of tubing itself . | 4 |
while this invention is susceptible to embodiment in many different forms , there are shown in the drawings , and will be described herein in detail , specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not to be limited to the specific embodiments described . fig1 illustrates an incandescent halogen type bulb commonly available . the features of this bulb have been derived from the operating characteristics implicit in the operation of these type illumination devices : they operate at high temperatures ; they require an evacuated envelope separated from the hot filament ; they emit large quantities of infrared radiation experienced by the user as heat ; and they consume large quantities of electrical power . nonetheless these devices are in common usage and fixtures and appliances have been constructed to accommodate the form , fit , and function of these bulbs . this particular unit is a model mr - 16 . fig1 illustrates the incandescent halogen bulb and its essential components . these are a connector 101 that attaches to a standard source of electrical power which has a mating adapter ; an evacuated transparent capsule 102 containing the hot filament 105 ; an envelope 103 that acts as a shade and filter to allow infrared radiation to pass , while reflecting a portion of the desirable visible light to the objects below ; a transparent front cover 104 that allows the radiation to pass , while protecting the evacuated capsule 102 from breakage . in contrast to incandescent lights , leds consume less power , emit in a narrow beam , emit less heat , and can be formulated in a wide variety of colors both inside and outside the spectrum visible to humans . because of these implicit differences , the use of leds creates opportunities to add operation features to light bulbs , which heretofore were considered simple illumination devices . it is the object of this disclosure to enumerate unique features that will improve the usefulness of the lighting devices based on leds . fig2 illustrates the first embodiment of the current invention . this illuminating device is intended to have the same form fit and function as the incandescent illumination device of fig1 and as such has a similar electrical connector 201 and similarly shaped transparent or translucent envelope 202 . the envelope 202 will act to scatter light emitted from inside the envelope and be visible from the outside . as such , the envelope 202 can serve as a screen onto which are projected and displayed images , colors or other decorative or information - containing light either visible to humans or at shorter or longer wavelengths . the content of this information is formulated by circuitry contained on one or more circuit boards 206 contained within the envelope of the bulb 202 . this circuit 206 in its simplest form controls other illumination devices such as the leds 207 also located on the back of the circuit board 204 . another circuit 205 can be used to control high power leds 209 in an array 208 located on the opposite side for direct illumination of objects outside the envelope of the lighting device . however , this circuit or circuits may enable several useful features . these are : 1 . a timer to adjust the color and illumination level according to some preset or user - adjustable schedule . 2 . a photocell to turn on or off the light depending on the ambient light level and or a proximity sensor . 3 . a signaling function that communicates with other lights 4 . a switch that is user accessible that allows a switching of illumination characteristics such intensity , color , continuous or flashing illumination modes . also located on circuit board 204 is a power conditioning circuit 205 that regulates power to the high intensity leds 208 located on the underside of the board . this circuit adapts and controls the power available via the connector 201 and conducted to the board via wires 203 . the circuit 205 may contain storage features including a battery to enable the lighting device to act as an emergency light source in the event of a power failure . the circuit may rectify ac power to dc to suit the desired current and voltage required by the series and / or parallel array of leds and provide power to other on - board circuitry . in this embodiment , the leds 207 on the backside of the pc board 204 can serve the function of communication and or decoration . for decorative purposes , the shade 202 will be made of a colored or white transparent or preferably translucent material such as plastic or glass which is textured so as to scatter light . in this manner light from the leds 207 impinge on this surface and are made more visible to the user , and can serve the function of decoration . the shade 202 may also contain penetrations 210 to allow heat to exit the led enclosure . fig3 illustrates a similar incandescent replacement product . this product also contains an electrical connector 301 , a shaped translucent or transparent envelope 302 with holes 310 to remove heat , one or more printed circuit boards 304 within the enclosure , means such as wires 303 to conduct electrical power to these board ( s ). the product now has high intensity illumination leds 307 on the top surface and other high intensity leds 309 in an array 308 on the bottom surface . unlike the product of fig2 which had small leds with a narrow exit beam and low intensity , these high intensity leds 309 and 307 have a higher light output generally greater than 10 lumens and the exit angle of the light may range from a narrow angle to a very broad beam as desired . to control these leds additional circuitry may be required as shown in the figure . in addition to the power transforming circuit 305 , and the control circuits 306 , additional power handling circuits 311 may be necessary . these high power leds may have one or more colored light outputs other than white , and have different orientations other than vertical to provide decorative illumination above the lighting product . a switch 311 that is accessible by the user can be used to control characteristics of operation of the lighting product . fig4 illustrates another embodiment of the product . unlike the previous examples in which modification of the color , intensity and pattern took place by electrically controlling the electrical power to individual devices of one or more orientations and color , this product contains a mechanical method for varying the intensity , and pattern with time . this is accomplished for example using a multi - faceted mirror 420 , operated by a miniature electric motor 421 that changes the orientation and position of the mirror . in this way light is reflected or diffracted to form a pattern of shapes and color on the translucent or transparent envelope 402 . fig5 illustrates another embodiment in which is added the feature of a patterned mask 520 that casts a shadow or other optical means a predetermined pattern by blocking or otherwise modifying the pattern of light emanating from the internal leds 507 located on the back side of the circuit board 504 . other features from other embodiments discussed already may also be incorporated . it may be appreciated from these descriptions that the leds used in these embodiments , though small , occupy considerable space that limits the overall light output of the product . this is due to the need to provide electrical connections to each of the semiconductor light emitting chips that are housed in large packages that provide both electrical connections and a means for removing heat and permit the exiting of useful light . the packages also often contain a lens or mirror for shaping and directing this light . while these packages allow some freedom of use , they also limit the density and eliminate the means to provide the integration of the functions of heat dissipation , light direction and electrical connection by independent means . many of these functions could be accommodated within a printed circuit board of appropriate design for a group of devices at the same time and within the circuit as it is formed . one means of improving the light density of the overall product is to incorporate the light emitting dies onto a suitable patterned circuit board that contains the external circuitry needed to power and connect the led devices without the excess baggage of a package . fig6 illustrates such an arrangement . the embodiment consists of a printed circuit board comprised of at least a middle portion 601 that may be the usual fiberglass core or one that contains metals , ceramics or other materials to enhance thermal conductivity , a top metal clad layer 603 and a bottom cladding layer 602 . it should be well understood that these top and bottom layers can easily be patterned by such processes as etching . a light emitting assembly can be attached to the patterned surface of cladding 603 by cementing with a thermally and electrically conducting compound or by welding or some other method . then the cladding 603 may act as either or both a thermal and electrical conducting pathway . the light emitting assembly consists of a metal base 604 to which is bonded a semiconductor light emitting chip 605 . this light emitting chip contains a pn junction that emits light and conducting top and bottom surface layers for electrical and thermal contact . a conducting wire or tab connects the top conducting member of the junction to the opposite conducting pad on the next assembly , thus building up a circuit that is in series . using a different connection scheme , but the same general method , a parallel connection can be assembled . by doing this , a relatively dense build - up of light emitting chips can be assembled using the thermal and electrical transfer characteristics of the printed circuit board . furthermore , heat sinking , cooling or other components can be attached to the board , improving performance , for example on the back side 602 of the printed circuit board . although not shown , it should be understood that this connection method can be extended in the two dimensions of the plane of the board . such chips as illustrated in fig6 will emit light in all directions . such a distribution of light may not be desired for any lighting applications . therefore , a matching array of lens that is positioned over the light emitting chips would be desirable . this separation of the top lens array from the leds is desirable as it allows the lens array to be positioned independently , allowing the light directed by the lens to be moved and / or focused by moving the lens array in the three dimensions . the movement can be controlled via a variety of methods such as stepper motors or piezoelectric activated motion controllers whose support electronics is also contained on the printed circuit board . the array of lenses can be molded from a transparent clear or colored material with a variety of spherical or hemi - spherical shapes . fig7 illustrates such an arrangement . the pc board 701 containing patterned metal traces 703 has located on its surface light emitting portions consisting of semiconductor light emitting devices 705 that are mounted on bases 704 . these areas are bonded together with electrically conducting wires or strips to form a series / parallel circuit . positioned over the top of these light emitting regions is a lens array 710 into which have been formed by a method such molding , a matching series of optical elements . three such elements of two different shapes labeled 711 and 712 are shown . this lens array 710 is spaced apart from the semiconductor array and mounted in such a manner that it can be externally manipulated in one or more of the three dimensions as shown by the opposing pairs of arrows . hence , by moving the lens array , the light emitted from the matching led array can be directed and focused as required , in essence steering the light beam . this can be controlled by onboard electronics , and via remote control or such other means as required such as proximity sensors , timers and the like . these lighting products require a source of alternating ( ac ) or direct current ( dc ). although leds utilize direct current , it is possible to use the leds to rectify ac power provided the number of leds is chosen to match the ac voltage . it is well understood how to transform ac power to dc via a variety of well - established methods . the use of dc power as supplied by batteries however , presents some problems because as the battery voltage declines under load , the current drawn by the leds rapidly declines , owing to the extremely non - linear current - voltage characteristic inherent in a diode . since the light output of a led is directly proportional to current , this means the light output rapidly declines . on the other hand , if battery voltage exceeds a predetermined level , heating of the semiconductor junction that comprises the led is excessive and can destroy the device . moreover , excess heat in the led junction causes a condition called thermal runaway , in which the heat raises the current drawn at a given voltage , leading to further heating , which in turn leads to greater current draw and quickly destroys the device . this is especially a problem with high power leds and requires careful thermal management . in order to help avoid this problem it is useful to fix the current through the leds rather than the voltage . using a battery as the source of current however presents a problem because of the differing voltage and current behavior of the battery power source and the led load . therefore , a circuit is desired to regulate and fix the current independent of the voltage supplied by the battery . in the case where the battery voltage is less than the load voltage required by the series and / or parallel led circuit , a boost circuit can be used as pictured in fig8 a and 8 b . in this circuit an integrated circuit device , ic 1 801 is used to control the charging and discharging of an inductor l 1 803 . this integrated circuit may be one of several that are available such as the texas instruments tps61040 . after a charging cycle , the ic switches the circuit so that the inductor l 1 803 is permitted to discharge through the load , which in this case is the light emitting diodes 805 . the current is controlled via a feedback resistor r 1 806 . the value of the resistor is chosen to fix the maximum current that is permitted to flow through the load , which in this case , is one or more leds ( led 1 , led 2 ) shown as 805 . this manner of control occurs because the voltage drop across r 1 806 is compared to an internally generated reference voltage at pin fb of ic 1 801 . when the two voltages are equal the current is considered fixed and will be controlled to that predetermined value . a diode d 3 802 is used to ensure protection of the ic 1 801 in case the battery source ( not shown ) is connected backwards . the diode 804 allows current flow through the leds 805 in only the forward , or light emitting direction . in this invention , such a circuit would be enclosed within the envelope of the bulb . fig8 b differs from fig8 a in that it builds into the circuit an easy and inexpensive means of protecting the leds from excessive current flow and the runaway that results from high temperatures . in this circuit a resistor with a positive resistance rate of change with temperature , r 2 807 is placed in series with a fixed resistor . resistor r 2 is physically located on the circuit board so as to be placed in the thermal pathway of heat emanating from the leds 805 . therefore , when the temperature of the leds 805 increases , the resistance of r 2 807 also increases , and its resistance is added to that of r 1 806 . since the voltage drop across these combined resistances appears on the feedback pin fb of ic 1 801 , the increased voltage is interpreted as a request for decreased current . hence , the natural tendency of the leds 805 to draw more current that would ordinarily lead to the failure of the part is averted by introducing a self - limiting control function . this circuit has the advantage of being very efficient and compact and having built into it a temperature regulation that allows the resulting system to automatically adapt to the thermal environment in which it is placed . because of these attributes , it can , for example be put into a miniature lamp base of the kind used for flashlights ( pr type flange base ). however , the remaining limitation of the circuit is that it can only boost voltage from a lower value to a higher value required by the led load . therefore , in situations where only one led is required , but a higher input voltage is all that is available , the excess voltage will appear across the led even if the circuits in fig8 are used . this will cause an excessive current to be drawn , leading to premature failure of the led and premature draining of the battery . to solve this problem we require a circuit that is still compact enough to fit into a bulb or bulb base , and that is capable of either raising or lowering the output voltage above or below the voltage of the incoming battery or other dc supply in order to maintain the desired current through the led load . hence this circuit would either boost the voltage if the input voltage were lower than required by the led or reduce the voltage if it were higher than that required to sustain the necessary constant current through the led . it is understood that led here may refer to one or more leds in a series , parallel or series / parallel circuit . furthermore , because of the deleterious effects of temperature , this circuit must have the ability to regulate the current through the led depending on the ambient temperature . the ambient temperature may be determined by the environment as well as heat dissipated by the circuit and the led . such a circuit is disclosed in fig9 . this circuit utilizes a so - called cuk converter that is ordinarily used as an inverting switching voltage regulator . such a device inverts the polarity of the source voltage and regulates the output voltage depending on the values of a resistor bridge . in this invention , the inverter circuit has been altered in a unique fashion so that it acts to boost the voltage output or buck the voltage input in order to maintain a constant current through the load represented by one or more leds 905 . the circuit incorporates an integrated circuit ic 1 901 such as the national semiconductor lm2611 cuk converter or equivalent . in this circuit , ic 1 &# 39 ; s internal transistor is closed during the first cycle charging the inductor l 1 902 from the battery source indicated as vbat . at the same time the capacitor c 2 904 charges inductor l 2 903 , while the output current to the leds 905 is supplied by inductor l 2 903 . in the next cycle the ic 1 901 changes state to permit the inductor l 1 902 to charge capacitor c 2 904 and l 2 903 to discharge through the leds 905 . the control of the charging power and current through the load is performed by the resistor network consisting of r 2 906 a and r 3 907 a . the overall value of these resistors together with the current passing through the leds 905 from ground , sets a voltage that appears on the feedback pin ( fb ) of ic 1 901 . resistor 907 a has a positive temperature coefficient so that its resistance increases with temperature . because of thermal effects such as heat dissipation by the leds , heat produced by the ic 1 or other circuit components and the ambient environmental conditions , the current must also be altered to accommodate these changes . this is affected by a temperature dependent resistor r 3 . in fig9 a , resistor r 3 907 a has a positive temperature coefficient in which the resistance increases with temperature . the additive effect of the series circuit with r 2 906 a means that as temperature rises , the overall resistance of the combination does also , leading to an increase in voltage drop . this in turn causes ic 1 to decrease the output current to the leds 905 . in fig9 b the resistor network is comprised of resistors in parallel and series . in this instance , resistors r 2 and r 4 906 b , 908 are fixed and resistor r 3 907 b is temperature dependent with a positive temperature coefficient . the use of a parallel arrangement allows a greater freedom of choice of temperature dependence than a simple series arrangement . | 5 |
referring now to fig1 , a cross - sectional view of a core sleeve 2 of the present invention is shown . the core sleeve 2 is made up from easy weldable and machinable material such as carbon steel in the preferred embodiment . the core sleeve 2 can also be constructed of a hard plastic . the core sleeve 2 has an outer diameter surface 4 and an inner diameter surface 6 . as will be more fully set out , it is important to retain an accurate measurement of the outer diameter surface 4 . fig2 is a cross - sectional view of the core sleeve 2 of fig1 with a first coating applied thereto . more specifically , the operator will apply a layer of hard facing to the outer diameter surface 4 . in the most preferred embodiment , the fusion process is utilized . an oxygen settling process or a laser process , both of which are commercially available , can be utilized in this hard facing step . in the most preferred embodiment , the laser process is utilized as set out below . also in the most preferred embodiment , the hard facing material can be selected from the group consisting of tungsten carbide , silicon carbide or ceramics , all of which are commercially available . in the most preferred embodiment , tungsten carbide is used , and is commercially available . thus , the hard facing material does not have to be heated up above temperatures that would change the mechanical property of the core or carrier sleeves . also , very hot application temperatures can cause cracks in the structure ( of the hard facing material ) of the wear particles . as noted earlier , in the most preferred embodiment , a laser assisted procedure with inert gas coverage is used to apply the hard facing , and the temperature should not exceed 3500 degrees fahrenheit . it should be noted that it is also possible to use a high velocity oxygen fuel process system ( hvos ) in order to apply the hard facing to the outer diameter surface 4 . both the hvos and the laser assisted procedure is commercially available . the hard facing application in effect generates a new outer diameter surface 8 . referring now to fig3 , a cross - sectional view of the core sleeve 2 of fig2 with a second coating applied thereto will now be described . more specifically , the process would include applying a layer of metal ( material layer ) on the top of the previously applied hard facing surface 8 . thus , a new outer diameter surface 10 is formed . in this step , the operator applies a layer of metal on top of the hard facing . in the most preferred embodiment , the same process that was used for applying the hard facing is used in the step shown in fig3 . also , the same set up is used , namely a laser assisted procedure with inert gas coverage while not going over temperatures above 3500 degrees fahrenheit . the metal should have high ductility and medium yield i . e . soft carbon steel . in the most preferred embodiment , the metal used in fig3 is commercially available . fig4 is a cross - sectional view of the core sleeve 2 of fig3 having been machined on the outer diameter 10 . in the preferred embodiment , a commercial lathe can be used . it is important to keep as close as possible to a cylindrical shape . hence , this first cut is referred to as rough since it is important to get a cylindrical shape so that the inner diameter can be measured and machined , as will be discussed in more detail . referring now to fig5 , a cross - sectional view of the core sleeve 2 of fig4 having been machined on the inner diameter 6 will now be described . a commercially available lathe can also be used . hence , the operator will utilize known techniques to machine out the inner diameter 6 to a specific dimension , the specific dimension depending on the specific size mud motor used , thereby exposing a new inner diameter surface 12 . additionally , the core sleeve 2 is cut to a specific length l , wherein the length l corresponds to the mud motor dimension as will be more fully set out later in the disclosure . the type of tool used to cut the length may be a commercially available saw . it should be noted that it is within the teachings of this invention that the starting tubular sleeve may be of sufficient length that it is possible for the operator , in this step , to cut several bearings to a predetermined length from this single piece . in other words , the finished bearing of fig5 may be cut into a plurality of bearings so that several bearings are produced , which will save on manufacturing cost and improve time efficiency . in fig6 , the cross - sectional view of the core sleeve 2 of fig5 having been machined on the outer diameter surface 10 to the specific dimensions and tolerances of the mud motor is shown . therefore , fig6 depicts a new outer diameter surface 14 having been exposed through machining . a commercially available lathe may be used in this step . referring now to fig7 , a cross - sectional view of the completed bearing , which is represented by the numeral 15 . hence , bearing 15 is the core sleeve 2 of fig6 having been machined on the inner diameter thereby producing a new inner diameter surface 16 . in the most preferred embodiment , this cut is the final machine to the inner diameter area to given specifications and tolerances . the type of tool used to machine the inner diameter , in one preferred embodiment , is a grinding type of tool well known in the art . the steps illustrated in fig4 through 7 represent the most preferred embodiment of manufacturing the bearing 15 and were done in this specific order , and wherein this specific order has been shown by experimentation to prevent deformation of the bearing 15 due to residual stress generated when machining . another option to reduce residual stress caused when machining is a controlled heat stress relieve process which entails controlled heating and cooling procedures of the bearing . referring now to fig8 , a partial cross - sectional view of the bearing 15 of fig7 concentrically disposed within a lower housing 20 of a mud motor is illustrated . the bearing 15 is a product made by the process illustrated in steps of fig1 through 7 . the bearing 15 is press fitted in the most preferred embodiment into the inner bore 22 of the lower housing 20 . it should be noted that it is also possible to utilize heat shrinking or welding of the bearing 15 into the inner bore portion 22 of the lower housing 20 . all these processes are commonly used and known throughout the industry . the combination of the outer radial bearing female 15 placed in the lower housing 20 with the mandrel ( that will be described in the discussion of fig9 ) provides a complete radial bearing assembly means of the present invention . returning to fig8 , the lower housing 20 contains an outer surface 24 , which is generally cylindrical . the inner bore portion 22 contains a first inner diameter portion 26 that extends to a second inner diameter portion 28 , and wherein the inner bore portion 22 contains the radial shoulder 30 . the end 32 of the bearing 15 will abut the radial shoulder 30 . the lower housing 20 has an opening 33 a for placement of punch means 33 b for punching and removing the bearing . for instance , the operator may find it desirable to remove and replace the bearing , and therefore , the operator can utilize the punch 33 b via opening 33 a to crimp the radial bearing and remove as appropriate . fig9 is a partial cross - sectional view of a mandrel 34 with a hard coating 36 applied to the first outer diameter surface 38 . the mandrel 34 may also be referred to as the drive shaft 34 . the hard coating 36 is applied to the outer diameter surface 38 using known techniques of applying metal material , as was discussed with reference to fig2 above . returning to fig9 , the first outer diameter surface 38 extends to a second outer diameter surface 40 , which is an enlarged cylindrical surface . extending radially inward is the inner bore 42 . generally , the mandrel 34 is the rotational component of the mud motor , and the mandrel 34 can be attached to a bit means , as will be more fully explained later in the application . referring now to fig1 , a partial cross - sectional view of the mandrel 34 within the lower housing 20 of a mud motor 44 will now be described . as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art , mud motors are commercially available from several vendors , and are attached to a drill string 45 . for instance , baker hughes inc . has a commercially available mud motor under the name navi drill . fig1 depicts the lower housing 20 being connected to an upper housing 46 , and wherein the drive shaft 34 ( i . e . mandrel 34 ) is disposed therein . the bearing 15 is shown disposed within the lower housing 20 and wherein the bearing 15 will cooperate with the hard coating 36 of the drive shaft 34 . the lower housing 20 and the upper housing 46 is collectively referred to as the housing . with the drive shaft 34 disposed within the housing , a cavity is formed , and wherein the thrust bearing 48 is disposed therein . the purpose of the thrust bearing 48 is to transmit the axial load from the drill string via drive shaft 34 to the bit 50 . as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , the circulation of drilling fluid down the inner portion of the drill string , and through the mud motor 44 , will cause the drive shaft 34 to rotate . the drive shaft 34 will be connected to a bit means 50 for boring a bore hole 52 . the purpose of the radial bearing is to allow rotation of the drive shaft 34 relative to the lower housing 20 , to clutch radial forces and to allow stabilization of the drive shaft relative to the lower housing 20 while minimizing the friction forces . operators find it desirable to design the mud motors to rotate at 100 to 300 revolutions per minute . hence , having a bearing section is critical . the present invention allows for an economical and efficient bearing assembly , with a long life as compared to prior art bearing assemblies . referring now to fig1 a , a partial schematic illustration of a preferred embodiment of the hard facing material 60 and the material layer 62 , which have been applied according to the teachings of the present invention , as set out in fig1 thru 7 . additionally , the hard facing material 60 has undergone rapid cooling after application . more specifically , fig1 a depicts the particulate material 64 suspended within the filler material ( seen generally at 66 ). the particulate material 64 may be a carbide and the filler material may be a cobalt or nickel composition , both being commercially available and well known in the art . the hard facing material 60 , which may also be referred to as the wear surface 60 , is the surface that will abut the mandrel . therefore , the wear surface 60 bears the rotational and radial force ( including friction ) of the moving components . the material layer 62 will bear the stress imposed during operation . for instance , in the mud motor application , the material layer 62 will bear the normal stress , shear stress , radial stress , etc . fig1 a depicts a good distribution of the particulate material . as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , the hard facing material is applied at temperatures in the 3500 degree fahrenheit range . one of the methods of obtaining good particle distribution is to rapidly cool the hard facing material after controlled application . in other words , the hard facing material is not allowed to cool normally , but rather is rapidly cooled so that the particles are not allowed to settle . this is done by fast cooling which includes cooling the hard facing , material from a temperature of 3500 degrees fahrenheit ( immediately after application ) to a temperature of approximately 500 degrees fahrenheit in approximately 2 to 5 minutes . continued rapid cooling beyond this point could result in major cracks in the material layer 62 which could result in portions of the material layer 62 breaking off from the hard facing material . instead , after the rapid cooling , the material layer 62 may be wrapped or otherwise covered with a layer of insulation and allowed to cool slowly . the material layer may be slowly cooled to a temperature of 250 degrees fahrenheit with the layer of insulation around the material layer 62 . more preferably , the material layer may be slowly cooled to a temperature of 200 degrees fahrenheit in this manner . in an alternate embodiment , the material layer may be cooled to ambient temperature in this manner . this subsequent slow cooling step will help to prevent major cracks in the material layer 62 while achieving good particle distribution in the hard facing material 60 . the layer of insulation may be formed of any insulating material . for example , a heat blanket may be used as the insulation layer . fig1 b is a partial schematic illustration of one embodiment of the hard facing material and the material layer , wherein the hard facing material had not undergone rapid cooling . in the embodiment seen in fig1 b , the particle distribution is poor . this poor distribution was caused by improper cooling . referring now to fig1 c , a schematic illustration of another embodiment of the hard facing material and the material layer , wherein the hard facing material has not been applied in a controlled manner . in fig1 c , the particle distribution is poor . this poor distribution was caused by improper cooling , and an improper mixture of the filler material . thus , according to the teachings of the present invention , the rapid cooling of the hard facing material 60 and the subsequent slow cooling of the material layer 62 will allow for good particle distribution in the hard facing material 60 and will prevent major cracks in the material layer 62 , thereby allowing the hard facing material 60 and the material layer 62 to assist its load and wear function of the bearing . fig1 is a schematic illustration of the micro cracks formed in the hard facing material after rapid cooling , according to one preferred embodiment . the micro cracks are represented by the diagonal lines traversing fig1 . the micro cracks , such as seen at 68 , are introduced into the hard facing material 60 by the rapid cooling . the micro cracks makes the hard facing material flexible . at the same time , the hard facing material 60 is not allowed to chip and fall off . hence , the hard facing material 60 is flexible , but does not fall off . while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described , it is to be understood that the embodiments described are illustrative only and that the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalence , many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those skilled in the art from a review thereof . | 5 |
as shown in fig1 - 6 , and in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , a lighting apparatus 1 has a reflector 4 which is coupled to a top rim 3 , wherein the top rim 3 is coupled to a heat conducting body 2 . the heat conducting body 2 contains a heat pipe 8 which is cladded by a cladding 9 , and a mounting platform 5 located on one side of the heat conducting body 2 facing opposite the front side of the reflector 4 . as shown in fig3 , an led 6 is coupled to a metal core printed circuit board (“ pcb ”) 7 which is then coupled to the mounting platform 5 . the mounting platform 5 is shaped ( which , in this aspect of the present invention , is circular ) in such a manner that it provides increased non - glare protection from the led relative to existing lighting apparatuses . in this aspect of the present invention , the led 6 is located above at or near a central optical axis 300 of the reflector 4 , and is positioned so that light emitted from the led 6 is substantially or entirely directed to the front side of the reflector 4 ; thereby , as shown in fig6 , allowing the reflector 4 to collect and colliminate the light emitted from led 6 , and reflect the colliminated light away from the reflector 4 and past led 6 and the heat conducting body 2 . the heat conducting body 2 intercepts very little of the exiting reflected , colliminated light from reflector 4 due to its flat , narrow construction . as shown in fig3 , the flat , narrow construction of the heat conducting body 2 creates a small cross - section 10 to the exiting reflected , colliminated light from reflector 4 . in this aspect of the present invention , the heat generated from the led 6 travels the following heat path through the lighting apparatus : metal core pcb 7 , mounting platform 5 , cladding 9 , heat pipe 8 , cladding 9 , and then top rim 3 and reflector 4 . the heat generated from the led 6 can also travel through metal core pcb 7 , mounting platform 5 , cladding 9 , heat pipe 8 , and then top rim 3 and reflector 4 . the top rim 3 and reflector 4 act as heat sinks . another aspect of the present invention is shown in fig8 - 13 . specifically , the lighting apparatus 50 contains a reflector 53 which is coupled to a top rim 52 , wherein the top rim 52 is coupled to a heat conducting body 51 . the heat conducting body 51 contains a heat pipe 56 which is cladded by a cladding 59 , and a mounting platform 54 located on one side of the heat conducting body 51 facing opposite the reflector 53 . the led 55 , as shown in fig1 , is coupled to a metal core pcb 60 which is then coupled to the mounting platform 54 . this aspect of the present invention includes a main housing 57 which has one or more heat dissipating fins 58 for maximizing surface area ; thereby , increasing its heat dissipation capacity . the top rim 52 , reflector 53 , and the main housing 57 act as heat sinks , with the main housing 57 acting as the primary heat sink . as shown in fig1 and 11 , the main housing 57 is coupled to a reflector edge 63 . there is an air gap 62 between the reflector 53 and the main housing 57 , as shown in fig1 and 11 . the size of air gap 62 can vary depending on the size of the reflector 53 . the heat generated from the led 55 travels a heat path which includes travelling through metal core pcb 60 , mounting platform 54 , cladding 59 , heat pipe 56 , cladding 59 , and then top rim 52 , reflector 53 and main housing 57 . the heat can also travel through metal core pcb 60 , mounting platform 54 , cladding 59 , heat pipe 56 , and then top rim 52 , reflector 53 and main housing 57 . another aspect of the present invention is shown in fig1 - 20 . here , the lighting apparatus 500 includes a main housing 501 ; a reflector 502 having a front side and a rear side ; a top rim 503 coupled to the main housing 501 ; a heat conducting body 1000 which is positioned on the front side of the reflector 502 and coupled to the top rim 503 ; an led 504 being positioned facing directly at the front side of the reflector 502 so that light emitted from the led 504 is substantially or entirely directed to the front side of the reflector 502 . as shown in fig1 , the heat conducting body 1000 is substantially s - shaped and includes a middle portion 1001 that is bar - shaped or substantially bar - shaped ; and curved wing portions 1002 and 1003 which extend from each end of the middle portion 1001 . as shown in fig2 , curved wing portions 1002 and 1003 are coupled to the top rim 503 , wherein the top rim 503 has slots 520 and 521 which permit the curved wing portions 1002 and 1003 to fit within the slots 520 , 521 , respectively ; thereby , permitting coupling of the heat conducting body 1000 and the top rim 503 . the heat conducting body 1000 and the top rim 503 can also be coupled via soldering , thermal epoxy or any other techniques known in the art which are used to couple the heat conducting body 1000 to the top rim 503 . the heat conducting body 1000 includes a mounting platform 530 which is positioned near or at the central optical axis of the reflector 502 , and a mounting plate 531 coupled between the mounting platform 530 and led 504 . the heat conducting body 1000 also includes a heat pipe is located at the middle portion 1001 and / or one or both of the curved wing portions 1002 and 1003 . a metal cladding 550 can be coupled to the heat conducting body 1000 . for example , as shown in fig1 , a substantial portion of the middle portion 1001 of the heat conducting body 1000 is coupled to the metal cladding 550 . the metal cladding 550 can bemused to secure and direct electrical cable or wires which extends from the top rim 503 to the led 504 along the middle portion 1001 of the heat conducting body 1000 , and is made of a thermally - conductive material , such as stainless steel , aluminum , copper or any other high - heat conductive material . as shown in fig1 , the present invention can include a glass cover 800 which is coupled to the top rim 503 and a cap rim 509 . the glass cover 800 protects at least the reflector 502 , the heat conducting body 1000 , the mounting platform 530 , the mounting plate 531 and led 504 from environmental hazards , such as water and dust . the glass cover can also be used in conjunction with the aspects of the present invention set forth in fig1 - 6 and 8 - 13 . the present invention can also include a plastic housing 700 that is coupled to the bottom end of the main housing 501 , and a lamp base 701 ( e . g ., an e26 lamp base , a gu10 lamp base , an e27 lamp base ) that is coupled to the plastic housing 700 . as shown in fig4 and 11 , the heat conducting body 2 , 51 contain a heat pipe 8 , 56 which is cladded by a cladding 9 , 59 , and a mounting platform 5 , 54 located on one side of the heat conducting body 2 , 51 facing opposite the reflector 4 , 53 . the cladding 9 , 59 can be made of a thermally - conductive material such as aluminum , copper , graphite or zinc , and can include a mounting platform 5 , 54 . the cladding 9 , 59 can be used to increase structural strength of the heat pipe 8 , 56 , assist in transferring and spreading the heat from the led 6 , 55 to the heat pipe , and assist in the transferring and spreading the heat from the heat pipe 8 , 56 to the heat sinks , such as top rim 3 , 52 , reflector 4 , 53 and main housing 57 . as discussed above , and as shown in fig1 , the heat conducting body 1000 can be coupled to a metal cladding 550 . metal cladding 550 covers a substantial portion of the middle portion 1001 of the heat conducting body 1000 , and is used for aesthetic purposes , securing electric cable or wires between heat conducting body 1000 and metal cladding 550 , and / or directing such electric cable or wires to the led 504 . the metal cladding 550 can be made of thermally - conductive material , such as stainless steel , aluminum , copper or any other high - heat conductive material . alternatively , as shown in fig1 , the led 91 can be directly affixed onto a heat conducting body 90 ( via the mounting platform 92 of cladding 93 ). in another aspect of the present invention , the heat pipe is not cladded . for example , fig1 shows a heat conducting body 100 wherein an led 103 is coupled onto a mounting platform 102 , which is , in turn , directly coupled to a heat pipe 101 . the mounting platform 102 can be cylindrically - shaped , and can partially or completely encase at least the center of the heat pipe 101 . the heat pipe ( such as heat pipe 8 , 56 , 101 ) can be made of porous copper incorporating a large number cavities filled with pure water . as shown in fig7 , water within the heat pipe evaporates to vapor as it absorbs thermal energy from a heat source . see 400 in fig7 . the vaporized water then migrates along the vapor cavity to cooler sections of the heat pipe . see 401 in fig7 . there , the vapor quickly cools and condenses back to fluid , and the fluid is absorbed by the wick , releasing thermal energy . see 402 in fig7 . the fluid then returns along the inner cavities to the heated sections ( see . 403 in fig7 ), and repeats the heat pipe thermal cycle described above . the heat pipe use the above - described mechanism to transmit thermal energy from the led to heat sinks , such as the top rim 3 , 52 , reflector 4 , 53 , and main housing 57 , 501 . the heat pipe can be flattened ( in a cross - section direction ) into a thin strip in order to minimize light absorption . another aspect of the present invention includes a heat conducting body with one or more heat pipes . for multiple heat pipes , each heat pipe is connected to a center hub ( like a spoke on a wheel ) positioned near or at the central optical axis of a reflector . the center hub acts as a mounting platform for one or more leds , and is made of thermally - conductive material such as aluminum , copper or any other high - heat conductive material . in another aspect of the present invention , the heat conducting body extends up to or near the central axis of a reflector and being coupled to the top rim at only one connection point ( such as connection point 900 or 901 for fig1 , or connection point 910 or 911 for fig8 ). as a result , the heat conducting body does not form a chord to or a diameter of the top rim of fig1 and 8 . at or near the central axis of the reflector , the heat conducting body includes a mounting platform with an led directly coupled thereto , or an led coupled to a metal core pcb or a mounting plate , which is then coupled to the mounting platform . this alternative aspect of the present invention reduces light blockage caused by the heat conducting body and improves lens efficiency , while promoting heat dissipation and anti - glare . the mounting platform 5 , 54 , 102 , 530 are made of a thermally - conductive material such as aluminum , copper or any other high - heat conductive material . also , as mentioned above , the mounting platform provides increased non - glare protection from the led relative to existing light apparatuses . in the present invention , the possibility of direct glare from the led is eliminated ( or at least mitigated ) since ( 1 ) the led is coupled onto the mounting platform and positioned facing directly at the reflector so as that light emitted from the led is substantially or entirely directed to the reflector , and ( 2 ) the mounting platform is shaped ( e . g ., circular ) in a manner which prevents a direct view of the led at any viewing angle . the reflector 4 , 53 , 502 are made of a thermally - conductive material such as aluminum , and act as a heat sink . alternatively , the reflector 4 , 53 , 502 can be made of a non - thermally - conductive material such as plastic . as shown in fig6 , light emitted from the led 6 is substantially or entirely directed toward the reflector 4 , wherein the reflector 4 collimates the light emitted from the led 6 into a light beam and reflects the light beam with a particular beam angle . the beam angle can range from 2 to 60 full width half maximum (“ fwhm ”) degree . to eliminate or reduce glare , the reflector 4 of the present invention is designed to collect substantially or entirely the light emitted from the led 6 , and redirect the light in a manner which eliminates ( or at least mitigates ) luminance of the present invention within a direct glare zone ( i . e ., approximately 45 to 85 degree with respect to vertical ). the reflector 4 , 53 , 502 can take a variety of shapes to achieve various light beam patterns . it can be shaped in any conic section ( e . g ., hyperbola , ellipse or parabola ), used singularly or in various combinations , in two - dimension or three - dimensional shapes . an led can be an led module with one or more chips . the led can be a high - powered led . one or more leds can be used in the present invention . the led 6 , 55 , 504 are coupled to a metal core pcb 7 , 60 or a mounting plate 531 . in the alternative , the led 91 , 103 are coupled to the mounting platform 92 and 102 . the led can be soldered onto a metal core pcb , mounting plate , or mounting platform . thermal paste , thermal grease , soldering , reflow soldering or any other soldering materials or techniques known in the art can be used to couple the led onto the metal core pcb , mounting plate , or mounting platform . the present invention includes a metal core pcb ( see metal core pcb 7 , 60 shown in fig3 and 12 ). the metal core pcb includes led circuitry , and acts as a heat - transporting medium . for example , the metal core pcb comprises a base metal plate ( copper or aluminum , which is approximately 0 . 8 to 3 mm thick ), a dielectric layer ( laminated on top of the base metal plate , which is approximately 0 . 1 mm thick ), and a copper circuit track ( printed on top of dielectric layer , which is approximately 0 . 05 to 0 . 2 mm thick ). alternatively , as shown in fig1 and 16 , a metal core pcb is not included in the present invention in order to further reduce thermal resistance ; thereby , reducing led junction temperature and increasing maximum led power . alternatively , as shown in fig1 , a mounting plate 531 is used , wherein the mounting plate 531 being coupled to the led 504 and to the mounting platform 530 . the mounting plate is made of a thermally - conductive material such as copper or any other high - heat conductive material , and approximately 0 . 8 to 3 mm thick . mechanical techniques ( such as screws ) known in the art are used to couple the mounting plate to the mounting platform , and a thermal grease or paste with high thermal conductivity can be used between the mounting plate and mounting platform . the top rim 3 , 52 , 503 are made of a thermally - conductive material , such as aluminum , copper or zinc or any other high - heat conductive material . the top rim 3 acts as a primary heat sink ( for example , see fig1 ), or , like top rim 52 , 503 , as a secondary heat sink ( for example , see fig8 and 18 ). as shown in fig1 and 18 , the present invention includes a cap rim 509 which helps secures the glass cover 800 to the top rim 503 . the main housing 57 , 501 are made of a thermally - conductive material , such as aluminum , copper , zinc or any other high - heat conductive material . the main housing 57 , 501 act as a primary heat sink ( for example , see fig8 and 17 ). as shown in fig8 and 17 , the main housing 57 , 501 can have one or more fins 58 or 570 and / or take a conical - like shape to increase its surface area in order to increase its heat dissipation capacity . the main housing 57 , 501 can be substantially frustoconical in shape . the main housing can also be cylindrical or cubical in shape . in an aspect of the present invention , one end of the main housing 57 , 501 are coupled with a plastic housing 700 , the plastic housing 700 coupled to a lamp base 701 ( e . g ., an e26 lamp base , a gu10 lamp base , an e27 lamp base , a gu24 lamp base ). the plastic housing 700 contains main circuit boards , and electrically insulate such main circuit boards from the main housing 57 , 501 . it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the main housing can be utilized in conjunction with the aspect of the present invention set forth in fig1 - 6 , and the plastic housing 700 and lamp base 701 can be utilized with the aspects of the present invention shown in fig1 - 6 and fig8 - 13 . although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and / or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention . this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein . therefore , it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof . | 5 |
referring to fig1 a typical prior art cylindrical bored lock and latch mechanism is shown . the mechanism includes an outer knob 10 and an outer escutcheon 12 . a lock cylinder 14 is carried within the outer knob 10 . a key 16 is insertable into the lock cylinder 14 through an opening in the front of the outer knob 10 . operation of the key 16 will cause rotation of a tail piece 18 of the lock cylinder 14 . the tail piece 18 interconnects with a cylinder spindle 19 which interacts with a latch retraction assembly 20 . rotation of the tail piece 18 by means of the key 16 will cause the latch retractor assembly 20 to retract a latch bolt 22 . an outer spindle 24 is connected to the outer knob 10 and surrounds the cylinder spindle 19 . the outer spindle 24 is interconnected with the latch retractor assembly 20 so that rotation of the outer spindle 24 will also cause the latch bolt 22 to be retracted . a lock control 26 prevents rotation of the outer spindle 24 when it is in a locked position . a cover 28 fits over the latch retractor assembly 20 , outer spindle 24 and the lock control 26 . an inner knob 30 is supported by an inner escutcheon 32 and is connected to the outer spindle 24 . the outer knob 10 is also connected to the outer spindle 24 . in normal operation , when the lock control 26 of fig1 is in an unlocked position , rotation of either the outer knob 10 or inner knob 30 will cause rotation of the outer spindle 24 or inner spindle 27 and therefore retraction of the latch bolt 22 . when the lock control 26 is in its locked position , however , rotation of the outer spindle 24 by means of the outer knob 10 is prevented . in this case , the mechanism may be operated only be means of the key 16 or by rotation of inner knob 30 . it should be recognized that the mechanism described in fig1 is but one of several variations which may be used . for example , the mechanism may be designed so that when a lock control is in a locked position , the latch bolt 22 may be retracted only by operating the key 16 ( i . e ., rotation of the inner knob 30 is prevented as well as rotation of the outer knob 10 ). a detailed description of the precise operation of the lock mechanism of fig1 need not be given here , since it is but one of several different arrangements which are used with conventional cylindrical lock mechanisms . the present invention is directed to a modification of a standard cylindrical lock mechanism , and the mechanism of fig1 is described for illustrative purposes only . since the lock cylinder 14 in the mechanism of fig1 is carried within the outer knob 10 , removal of the outer knob 10 by the application of external force will expose the cylinder spindle 19 . the cylinder spindle 19 may then be manipulated to cause retraction of the latch bolt 22 . in addition , the application of excessive torque to the outer knob 10 can result in failure of the lock control 26 , which would then permit rotation of the outer spindle 24 and withdrawal of the latch bolt 22 . the present invention eliminates these potential hazards . as shown in fig2 the present invention includes an outer escutcheon 40 which has an integral outer protrusion 42 and supports an outer knob 10 &# 39 ; below the protrusion 42 . for purposes of clarity , elements shown in fig2 - 5 which correspond to elements of fig1 are labeled with a prime . the outer escutcheon 40 is secured to a door 38 . a key 16 &# 39 ; fits in an opening ( not shown ) in the front of the outer protrusion 42 . mounted on the opposite side of the door 38 is an inner escutcheon 48 through which passes an inner knob 30 &# 39 ;. a lock control button 52 extends from the inner knob 30 &# 39 ;. a latch bolt 22 &# 39 ; extends outwardly from the edge of the door 38 and is surrounded by a latch face 54 . the inner knob 30 &# 39 ;, latch bolt 22 &# 39 ; and key 16 &# 39 ; all lie on a common axis 36 . the outer knob 10 &# 39 ; lies on an axis 39 which is offset with respect to the axis 36 . referring now to fig3 a lock cylinder assembly 14 &# 39 ; is carried within the outer protrusion 42 of the escutcheon 40 in order to resist tampering . the lock cylinder assembly 14 &# 39 ; includes a cylinder key core 60 which is exposed though the opening in the outer protrusion 42 and into which the key 16 &# 39 ; is inserted . rotation of the key 16 &# 39 ; will cause rotation of a tail piece portion 18 &# 39 ; of the lock cylinder assembly 14 &# 39 ;. the tail piece 18 &# 39 ; is coupled to a cylinder spindle 19 &# 39 ;, and rotation of the tail piece 18 &# 39 ; will cause rotation of the cylinder spindle 19 &# 39 ; which in turn causes retraction of a latch retractor 20a &# 39 ; or release of a lock mechanism 26 &# 39 ;, depending upon the particular design utilized . located within the inner escutcheon 48 is a support plate 70 to which is secured a housing 72 by means of screws 74 . the housing 72 supports an outer spindle 24 &# 39 ;. the cylinder spindle 19 &# 39 ; is carried within the outer spindle 24 &# 39 ;. an upper cam 78 is secured to the outer spindle 24 &# 39 ; by welding or otherwise and rotation of the cam 78 will cause rotation of the outer spindle 24 &# 39 ;, which in turn will cause retraction of the latch retractor 20a &# 39 ;. when the lock mechanism 26 &# 39 ; is locked , rotation of the outer spindle 24 &# 39 ; is prevented . the upper cam 78 is actuated by means of a pair of pushrods 80 which extend vertically downward from the cam 78 . the pushrods 80 cooperate with a lower cam 82 which is attached to a spindle 84 of the outer grip knob 10 &# 39 ;. the cam 82 and knob 10 &# 39 ; are held in position by a spindle retainer 86 which fits around the spindle 84 . referring now to fig4 the operation of the inventive portion of the locking mechanism will be described . a positioning bracket 88 serves to accurately position the pushrods 80 within the outer escutcheon 40 , permitting them to move only in the vertical direction . when the outer grip knob 10 &# 39 ; is rotated , the lower cam 82 will in turn rotate and will raise one of the pushrods 80 . the raised pushrod 80 will contact the upper cam 78 , causing it to rotate and in turn rotate the outer spindle 24 &# 39 ;. the rotation of the outer spindle 24 &# 39 ; will cause retraction of the latch retractor 20a &# 39 ; and the latch bolt 22 &# 39 ;. a pair of springs 76 are biased between an extension 40a of the outer escutcheon 40 and an end of the pushrods 80 , and serve to return the pushrods 80 to their original position . when the locking mechanism 26 &# 39 ; is in a locked position , the outer spindle 24 &# 39 ; will be prevented from rotating . this in turn restricts rotation of the outer grip knob 10 &# 39 ;. by modifying the design of a conventional cylindrical lock mechanism in the manner described above so that the lock cylinder and inner knob are located on an axis which is offset from the axis of the outer knob 10 &# 39 ;, the security of the lock mechanism is greatly increased . since the lock cylinder 14 &# 39 ; is not carried within the outer knob 10 &# 39 ;, removal of the knob 10 &# 39 ; will not expose the lock cylinder 14 &# 39 ; to tampering . in addition , the protruding portion 42 of the escutcheon 40 can be reinforced in order to make it more difficult to gain access to the lock cylinder 14 &# 39 ;. although the above described design is still subject to the potential problem of breaking the lock mechanism 26 &# 39 ; by the application of excess torque to the outer knob 10 &# 39 ;, a feature which also eliminates this problem may be easily incorporated . simply by designing the pushrods 80 so that they will will fail before the lock mechanism 26 &# 39 ; ( i . e ., by making them structurally weaker than the lock mechanism 26 &# 39 ;), the application of excess torque to the outer knob 10 &# 39 ; will cause failure of the pushrods 80 and the lock mechanism 26 &# 39 ; will remain intact . this may be accomplished , for example , by making the pushrods 80 of plastic or zinc . although the pushrods 80 will have to be replaced , the latch bolt 22 &# 39 ; will remain extended and the door 38 will thus remain locked . the locking mechanism of the present invention may be further strengthened by the addition of a pair of screws 89 and 90 ( fig3 ) which are used to secure the support plate 70 to the outer escutcheon 40 . the only change over a normal lock mounting is that the requirement that two additional holes 92 and 94 be drilled in the door 38 . as well as securing the outer escutcheon 40 to the support plate 70 , the lower screw 90 also functions to position the bracket 88 within the escutcheon 40 . referring now to fig5 an alternate means of solving the problem of the application of excess torque to the outer knob 10 &# 39 ; is shown . in this embodiment , the locking mechanism 68 is designed so that when it is locked , the outer spindle 24 &# 39 ;, and therefore the upper cam 78 , will be longitudinally moved as shown by arrow 90 so that it will be out of the path of the pushrods 80 . when this is done , the rotation of the outer knob 10 &# 39 ; will have no effect upon the locking mechanism 26 &# 39 ; since it will not contact any portion of it . when the locking mechanism 26 &# 39 ; is returned to its unlocked position , the upper cam 78 will be moved back into a position where it will be contacted by the pushrods 80 when the knob 10 &# 39 ; is rotated . also , as shown in fig5 the key core 60 may be covered with a hardened steel cap 61 to resist drilling of pins within the key core 60 . although it is most convenient to mount the cam and pushrod mechanism between the outer escutcheon 40 and the door 38 , the mechanism could be mounted within the door 38 itself . although this might provide marginally increased security , it would require an additional opening to be formed in the door beyond the standard opening which the preferred embodiment utilizes . in summary , the present invention is directed to an improved cylindrical lock mechanism which has increased security compared to a normal common axis cylindrical lock and yet is simple enough so that its cost will be significantly less than typical high security deadbolt lock mechanisms . the invention can be easily adapted to operate with various types of cylindrical lock mechanisms as long as they depend upon the rotation of a spindle for their operation . the basic design of the lock provides protection against tampering with the lock cylinder by positioning the lock cylinder away from the outer knob . with slight modifications , the mechanism will also prevent the application of excess torque to the outer knob from releasing the lock mechanism . | 8 |
shown in fig1 is a portion of a circuit board 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of this invention . conductors 12 define a conductor pattern on the circuit board 10 , with each conductor 12 configured in accordance with this invention to have a bond pad 14 delineated by a reduced - width portion 16 that separates the bond pad 14 from the remainder of the conductor 12 . the circuit board 10 is shown prior to placement of a flip chip or other surface mount device on the board 10 , by which solder bumps on the chip would be registered with and then reflowed on the bond pads 14 . optional “ dummy bumps ” 18 in accordance with commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 400 , 950 are shown within an interior region 20 of the circuit board 10 surrounded by the conductor pattern . these bumps 18 are not electrically active , but are used if additional mechanical lift is desired to promote the stand - off height of the chip on the board 10 . as typical in the art , after registration with the bond pads 14 , the solder bumps of the chip are reflowed in any suitable manner to form solder connections that physically and electrically connect the chip to the conductors 12 . suitable solder alloys include , but are not limited to , tin - based , lead - based and indium - based alloys , with notable examples being tin - lead alloys containing about ten to about sixty percent tin , with possible alloying additions of antimony , silver , etc . these alloys can be reflowed at sufficiently low temperatures to avoid thermal damage to the circuitry of the chip and circuit board 10 . the solder alloy for the bumps is typically screen printed or electrodeposited on contact pads on the chip , and must be accurately deposited in limited amounts such that , after reflow , the solder bumps will be substantially of equal size and will accurately and uniquely register with the bond pads 14 when the chip is registered with the conductors 12 . the conductors 12 are formed of a solderable material , which denotes a material to which solder will metallurgically bond and reliably adhere for purposes of making an electrical interconnection , as determined in the art using known test methods . a preferred conductor material for laminate circuit boards ( e . g ., fr4 ) is planar copper deposited by plating or by lamination of a copper foil , with a suitable thickness being about 0 . 015 to about 0 . 040 millimeters . while the invention has particular applicability for laminate circuit boards , conductors configured in accordance with this invention can be printed or otherwise formed on the surface of other circuit board materials , including ceramic and silicon substrates and flexible circuits , as is known in the art . a solder mask 22 is shown as surrounding the bond pads 14 , the reduced - width portions 16 , and the interior region 20 of the circuit board 10 . the solder mask 20 is preferably a photoresist material so that an opening 24 in the mask 22 can be defined by known photoengraving techniques . the opening 24 in the mask 22 would typically be required on a laminate circuit board to expose a limited portion of the conductors 12 for the purpose of defining the bond pads 14 , resulting in the opening 22 being roughly a square - shaped trench corresponding to the square pattern formed by solder bumps located along the perimeter of a chip . however , in accordance with this invention , the solder mask 22 is excluded from the interior region 20 of the board 10 , and the conductors 12 are truncated to define the interior end of each bond pad 14 , while the opposite end of each pad 14 is delineated by the interface with its reduced - width portion 16 . according to the invention , the reduced - width portions 16 serve as solder stops by physically impeding the flow of molten solder beyond their respective bond pads 14 , and preventing solder flow onto the remainder of the conductors 12 set apart from the bond pads 14 by the reduced - width portions 16 . as the molten solder coalesces during reflow , the surface tension of the solder constrains the final shape of the solder connections formed by the bumps in accordance with the size and shape of the bond pads 14 . because the solder mask 22 is not required within the interior region 20 , the stand - off height of a chip attached to the bond pads 14 by reflow soldering is effectively increased by the width of the solder mask 22 . with this increase in stand - off height , the penetration of cleaning solutions , mechanically bonding and encapsulation materials is promoted during processing of the board 10 , and stress relief of the solder connections is promoted during thermal cycling of the circuit board 10 . because bonding and encapsulation materials typically adhere better to circuit board materials than solder mask materials , another advantage of this invention is that underfill materials are able to bond directly to the circuit board 10 rather than the solder mask 22 . in view of the above , the transverse widths of the bond pads 14 and reduced - width portions 16 are critical to achieving the objects of this invention , while the width of the remainder of each conductor 12 is not . because the surface area of each bond pad 14 determines the manner in which the molten solder will flow , the length of each bond pad 14 is important , while the length of each reduced - width portion 16 should be sufficient to prevent molten solder from flowing over the portion 16 and onto the remainder of the conductor 12 . the square corners shown in fig1 at the junction between each bond pad 14 and its reduced - width portion 16 improve the ability of the portion 16 to impede the flow of solder across the junction . in practice , the surface areas , widths and lengths of the bond pads 14 are preferably the same , as are the widths and lengths of the reduced - width portions 16 . to be sufficiently narrower than its bond pad 14 for the purpose of effectively impeding the flow of molten solder , the maximum width for a reduced - width portion 16 should be about 75 % the width of its bond pad 14 , and preferably about 40 % to about 70 % of the width of the bond pad 14 . as an example , for conductors 12 on a 0 . 008 inch pitch ( 200 micrometers ), a suitable length and width for a bond pad 14 is about 0 . 007 inch ( about 175 micrometers ) and about 0 . 004 inch ( about 100 micrometers ), respectively , a suitable length for each reduced - width portion 16 is about 0 . 007 inch ( about 175 micrometers ), and a maximum width for each reduced - width portion 16 is believed to be about 0 . 003 inch ( about 76 micrometers ), with a suitable width being about 0 . 002 inch ( about 50 micrometers ). the bond pads 14 of fig1 are shown as being rectangular and linearly aligned on the circuit board 10 . as a result , solder connections formed on the bond pads 14 will generally have an oblong shape whose major axis is in the longitudinal direction of each conductor 12 . in a second embodiment of the invention shown in fig2 conductors 112 are formed to have circular bond pads 114 set apart from the remainder of each conductor 112 by , a reduced - width portion 116 whose intersection with the conductor 112 defines a square transverse edge 118 . the bond pads 114 are arranged in a staggered pattern on a circuit board 110 as a result of adjacent reduced - width portions 116 having different lengths . to maximize the spacing between circular - shaped solder connections subsequently formed at each bond pad 114 , pads 114 with shorter reduced - width portions 116 are preferably aligned adjacent to the reduced - width portions 116 of adjacent conductors 112 , as depicted in fig2 . in this embodiment , the maximum width of each reduced - width portion 116 is about 50 % of the diameter of its bond pad 114 , and preferably about 33 % to about 42 % of the diameter of the pad 114 . as an example , for conductors 112 on a 0 . 008 inch pitch ( 200 micrometers ), a suitable diameter for a bond pad 114 is about 0 . 006 inch ( about 150 micrometers ), and a maximum width for each reduced - width portion 116 to adequately impede the flow of molten solder is believed to be about 0 . 003 inch ( about 76 micrometers ), with a suitable width being about 0 . 0025 inch ( about 63 . 5 micrometers ). to produce the desired staggered arrangement of the pads 114 , the lengths of adjacent reduced - width portions 116 preferably differ by the diameter of the bond pads 114 . e . g ., about 0 . 006 inch ( about 175 micrometers ) for the pattern just described . it is foreseeable that the pads 114 could be staggered greater distances apart , with the maximum length of each reduced - width portion 116 generally being limited by the allowable temperature rise and resistance increase of its conductor 112 . as with the embodiment of fig1 a solder mask 122 is shown as being limited to surrounding the bond pads 114 and reduced - width portions 116 of the conductors 112 . the solder mask 122 is excluded from the interior region of the circuit board 110 surrounded by the bond pads 114 , where the mask 122 would conventionally be required as a solder stop , and instead the reduced - width portions 116 serve as solder stops by physically impeding the flow of molten solder beyond the bond pad 114 , and preventing solder flow onto the remainder of the conductors 112 set apart from the bond pads 114 by the reduced - width portions 116 . the benefit of excluding the solder mask 122 from the interior region of the board 110 is again the increased stand - off height of a chip attached to the bond pads 114 by reflow soldering . an additional benefit of the embodiment of fig2 is that the staggered arrangement of solder connections on the bond pads 114 provides for greater clearance between connections for a given conductor pitch , which reduces the risk of shorts when fine conductor pitches ( e . g ., 0 . 010 inch or less ) are used . a third embodiment of this invention is shown in fig3 in which conductors 212 have bond pads 214 defined between pairs of reduced - width portions 216 , each of which intersects its conductor 212 to define a square transverse edge 218 . the length and width of each reduced - width portion 216 is again sized to prevent molten solder from flowing across the portion 216 and onto the remainder of the conductor 212 , as indicated by the solder connections 220 depicted in fig3 . as with the previous embodiments of fig1 and 2 , a solder mask is not used to delineate the bond pads 214 , and therefore can be excluded from beneath a flip chip attached to the bond pads 214 with the solder connections 220 . similar to the embodiment of fig1 a maximum width for a reduced - width portion 216 is about 75 % of the width of its bond pad 214 , and preferably about 40 % to about 70 % of the width of the pad 214 . an example of suitable dimensions for conductors 212 configured in accordance with fig3 are , for a conductor pitch of about 0 . 008 inch ( about 200 micrometers ), bond pad lengths and widths of about 0 . 007 inch ( about 150 micrometers ) and about 0 . 004 inch ( about 100 micrometers ), respectively , and lengths and widths for the reduced - width portions 216 of about 0 . 002 inch ( about 50 micrometers ). while the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art . accordingly , the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims . | 8 |
the present invention is based upon utilization of a plurality of tanks for growing environments , each comprising a relatively independent system , including means for introducing feed , means for recirculating and heating water and in the course of recirculation filtering and aerating the water , all as described in the literature referred to above . typically , such a growing environment or system has a relatively fixed capacity for water recirculation , filtration and aeration . this is a limiting factor in the amount of fish growth which can be produced in that environment . a growing fish population , on the other hand has a constantly increasing capacity to consume nutrients , including air , and to produce waste products , as the fish population grows . the present invention &# 39 ; s system for the continuous production and harvest of fresh fish from a closed - system aquaculture design depends on the use of a multiple tank design , each with its own capability for biofiltration , clarification , aeration , heating , and insulation . in such closed systems , water quality control must be strictly observed , particularly because of the relatively constant and high nutrient input levels . in order to maintain optimal conditions for fish growth , several methods for maintaining water quality are employed , essentially as a unified or a combined approach . because a primary advantage of the present invention is its relatively low operational costs , in order to be economically feasible in accomplishing the continuous production described herein , certain adaptations of otherwise known water treatment techniques and apparatus are necessary . for example , in order to circulate water through the system &# 39 ; s components with low energy utilization , all water levels must be kept relatively at the same level . water can then be easily moved from the tank into an associated clarifier and then into an associated biofiltration tank and then finally back into the tank using an air lift . the air lift is a device for moving water by means of air . it is generally a u - shaped tube having in one end a connection for an air source . when placed between adjacent water compartments , air delivered inside of the tube drives the water out of the tube and into the adjacent compartments . if , as in the present invention the compartments are also connected beneath the level of the tube , water removed from one compartment causes the water in the adjacent compartment to adjust in response to the influx of water . thus , water levels are uniformly maintained with water movement being more or less constant in response to the removal and influx of water . similarly , aeration costs are also reduced relative to other fish production methods . aeration is accomplished using low pressure / high volume air blowers . the depth of water is necessarily shallow to accomplish this . particulate matter such as unconsumed fish feed and fish wastes are removed by circulating the water through a baffle - type clarifier which causes solids to settle out before the water is treated by the bio disk filtration system . the biodisc filtration system provides efficient ammonia removal without subsequent clogging of the filter with solid waste , and also operates using only air for the turning of the filter . the efficiency of the filtration system is enhanced further because of the multiple - tank design , requiring a quantity of much smaller individual filters , in essence increasing the water to filter - surface ratio , as compared to other fish growing schemes . thus , the overall multiple - tank concept as embodied in the present invention considers all of the relevant environmental parameters , including tank size ( circulation rate , pumping rate through the filters , production capacity / volume ), aeration method , clarifier sizing , heating and insulation efficiency , as well as feeding techniques and density manipulations . furthermore , by following the production scheme of the present invention , other immediate advantages include the ability to monitor fish growth as well as keeping all multiples of the system separate for disease control . in accordance with the present invention , the fish population growth cycle is divided into a number of intervals or phases in which the fish population is subdivided at the beginning of each interval or phase and thus the fish population or subdivisions thereof in the successive intervals are all relatively well matched , in their capacity to absorb nutrients and to produce wastes , with the relatively fixed capacity of each independent growing environment to aerate and remove waste from the recirculating water in that environment . thus , at the beginning of the growth cycle , the number of fingerlings introduced into one of the tanks or containers is selected so that the capacity of the tank or container to aerate and remove wastes from the recirculating growth medium ( water ) is comparable but somewhat greater than the capacity of the fingerlings to consume nutrients , including air , and produce wastes . as the fingerlings grow and their capacity to consume nutrients and produce waste become excessive relative to the capacity of the container to provide nutrients and remove waste , the fingerling population is subdivided . this is done by removing part of the fish population . for example , approximately one - half of the fingerling fish population may be placed in one additional tank or container . the growth cycle then proceeds until the subdivided fish populations &# 39 ; capacity to consume nutrients and produce waste again becomes excessive relative to the capacity of the individual containers , in which the sub - division of the original population is contained . at that point , the subdivided fish population is again subdivided , this time , for example , by again removing one - half of the fish in each of the two containers and evenly distributing them into two additional containers . in this manner , the capacity of all of the containers to introduce nutrients , filter the recirculating water and remove wastes from it , is used relatively efficiently throughout the fish growth cycle . preferably , a number of fish populations are simultaneously grown in this manner with the beginning of the growth cycle for each of the populations offset by the length of one interval or growth phase , so that at any one time a relatively constant number of containers are in use . typically , the method of the instant invention is carried out in a plurality of thermally insulated culture tanks , each of which has an associated bio - disk filtration and clarifier system . the insulated culture tanks are preferably circular , about 10 feet in diameter and 40 inches high . the tanks are also preferably raised above the ground so that associated piping , located below the tanks , may be easily installed and accessed . an air lift provides for movement of the water from compartment to compartment . thus , water moves from the tank to the clarifier and to the biofilter and finally back into the tank without the use of a siphon , simply by maintaining a constant water in all compartments . each tank also has associated with it an aeration and heating system which provides oxygen and heat for the fish . the aerator preferably also may provide for rotating the bio - disk filter and differential pressure to operate an integrally associated air - lift flow system . by way of example of the present invention , a first tank is stocked with a quantity of fish , typically about 4 , 000 fingerling . the fingerlings are supplied nutrients such as food and oxygen , and their waste is removed through a bio - disk filter / clarification system . fish are raised in a first tank for a six week period , after which one half of the fish are removed and placed in a second tank . the preferred six - week period may be longer or shorter depending upon the species of the fish or the ability of the tank and the associated filtration system to effectively handle waste products . in any event when the capacity of the fish population to absorb nutrients and produce wastes becomes excessive relative to the system &# 39 ; s capacity to introduce nutrients and remove wastes , the fish population is again subdivided from two tanks into four and six weeks later this population is divided again into eight tanks where they remain for an additional six week period until such time as they are ready for harvest . from the above - described method , it can be seen that where the first tank is supplied with 4 , 000 fingerling fish , after three sequential density manipulations , by subdivision into additional tanks , and with proper feeding , each of the eight harvest tanks should contain approximately 500 fish weighing over one pound each . a preferred density manipulative sequence in utilizing the present invention is to have 15 tanks and 4 fish populations ( of varying sizes ) in process at any one time , with staggered growth cycles so that when a first tank is divided between the first and the second tank a third tank is then stocked with fingerlings . when the third tank reaches optimum capacity , this tank as well as the first and second tanks are likewise divided into additional tanks . this scheme is best illustrated by reference to table 1 in which there is shown a tank manipulative sequence , by which 15 tanks are kept in relatively constant use , at relatively optimum fish growing conditions through a cycle of about 6 months . each fish population is subdivided four times . a population which is loaded originally as fingerlings in one tank is eventually harvested 6 months later from 8 tanks . this tank utilization sequence provides an appropriate number of tanks so that each tank will be operating at or near capacity at all times and so that 8 out of the 15 tanks can provide a standard harvest weight of fish every six weeks . while the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof , the invention is not limited thereto . the method and apparatus of this invention may in fact include systems with other numbers of tanks . the manipulative sequence to effect relatively constant output may also be varied considerably . all such variants , however , are within the scope of the present invention . the appended claims are intended to be construed to encompass all such variants as may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of this invention . table 1__________________________________________________________________________stocking / harvest sequence ( 15 tank system ) set # 1 set # 2 set # 3 set # 4date activity / tank # activity / tank # activity / tank # activity / tank # __________________________________________________________________________jan 1 harvest / all divide 2 , 7 , 13 , 14 ≧ divide 4 , 15 ≧ divide 8 ≧ stock 1 3 , 5 , 6 , 9 10 , 11 12feb 15 divide 1 ≧ harvest / all divide 4 , 15 , 10 , 11 ≧ divide 8 , 12 ≧ 3 stock 2 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 13 , 14apr 1 divide 1 , 3 ≧ divide 2 ≧ harvest / all divide 8 , 12 , 13 , 14 ≧ 5 , 6 7 stock 4 9 , 10 , 11 , 15may 15 divide 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ≧ divide 2 , 7 ≧ divide 4 ≧ harvest / all 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 13 , 14 15 stock 8july 1 repeat repeat repeat repeat__________________________________________________________________________ tank set # 1 ( 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ) tank set # 2 ( 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 13 , 14 ) tank set # 3 ( 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 15 ) tank set # 4 ( 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ) | 8 |
[ 0056 ] fig1 depicts a vertical - dipole transmitter coil ( tx ) 10 , a calibration coil ( cx ) 12 , an optional bucking coil ( bx ) 14 , and a pair of receiver coils rx ( plc ) 16 and rx ( hcop ) 18 . each of the coils has an axis specifically a transmitter axis 20 , a calibration axis 22 , a bucking axis 24 , a receiver plc axis 26 and a receiver hcop axis 28 respectively . similarly each of these has an effective center . the effective center of a receiver type device , including the cx 12 , bx 14 , rx plc 16 and rx hcop 18 , may be defined as the centroid of the sensitive region of the receiver device with respect to the component of electromagnetic field intensity being sensed by the device . the sensitive region is that area or volume of the receiver device which is sensitive to the intensity of the electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the receiver device . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the centroid of the sensitive region is typically substantially coincident with the geometrical center of the sensitive region . the effective center of a transmitter device may be defined as the geometrical center of the transmitter device . the hcop rx 16 coil is coplanar with the tx 10 or their effective centers are coplanar and separated from it by r rx 30 . the perpendicular loop coil ( plc ) 18 is oriented perpendicular to the tx - rx plane , with its axis 28 directed toward the transmitter coil 10 . the plc 18 and hcop 16 coils may be concentric or offset . if they are offset , the distance between the tx to the plc is r rxp which may be larger or smaller than r rx . if the bx coil is present , it is located at r bx 32 . the distance between the calibration coil 12 and the transmitter 10 is r cx 34 and is less than r rx 30 [ 0058 ] fig2 schematically depicts the first embodiment of the calibration apparatus . the cx coil 12 supplies a signal through an anti - alias filter to certain poles on switch # 1 46 and directly to an analog to digital converter ( adc ) 48 . the output of this adc is called the calibration data stream 58 or input 1 . switch # 1 permits the cx signal to be applied to the other adc &# 39 ; s when required in order to establish their calibration factors relative to adc # 1 . a separate pair of leads runs to switch # 2 50 ( if present ), which is normally open , but when closed places the cx coil 12 in opposition to the rx coil 16 . switch # 2 50 may be present in the circuit only during initial calibration of the system , when it may be used to position the cx 12 and / or rx 16 coils and / or to adjust the parameters of the cx 12 and / or rx 16 coils , such that the combined signal from the rx 16 and cx 12 due to direct pickup of the tx 10 field is at a minimum . this methodology allows the calibration signal emanating from the cx 12 to be adjusted so as to generally match the amplitude and phase of the rx signal due to direct pickup of the tx field . two receiver coils , labelled z rx 18 and x rx 16 , are connected via an amplifier and anti - alias filter 52 to certain poles on switch # 1 46 , such that in position 1 of the switch they are connected through to the second and third adc &# 39 ; s 54 and 56 respectively . the corresponding output data streams of these adc &# 39 ; s are called the z signal 60 and x signal 62 , or inputs 2 and 3 respectively . [ 0061 ] fig3 shows the relationship between the tx 10 , bx 24 ( if present ) and rx coils 36 in a terrain conductivity meter ( tcm ). in a ground conductivity meter ( gcm ), the single receiver coil labelled rx 36 would be replaced by a pair of coils 16 and 18 such as those shown in fig2 . the array , of length r rx 30 , is normally used with its long axis horizontal at a height h 38 above the ground surface . [ 0062 ] fig4 depicts a vertical - dipole transmitter coil ( tx ) 10 , a calibration coil ( cx ) 12 , and multiple receiver assemblies ra 1 40 , ra 2 40 ′, and so on to ra m 40 m . these receiver assemblies 40 may include hcop and / or plc receiver coils and / or a coil oriented at right angles to both of these , for depth sounding purposes , hcop and plc coils are typically sufficient . the receiver assemblies are located at r 1 , r 2 , . . . r m , 42 1 , 42 2 , 42 m respectively from the transmitter . if bx coils were present , they would be located at rbx 1 , rbx 2 , . . . rbx m ( not shown ). [ 0063 ] fig5 shows the multiple receiver array of fig4 in relation to a layered earth structure . each of the tx - ra pairs samples this structure to a different set of doi values 44 , 44 ′. suitable choices of tx - ra distances yields a sensor which is in principle capable of providing a continuous profile of earth material conductivity depth sections over the range of doi &# 39 ; s provided by the unit as the sensor is moved over the earth &# 39 ; s surface . [ 0064 ] fig6 shows a schematic of a sensing apparatus that includes a plurality of receiver devices 16 which may each be spaced differently from the transmitter . the range of spacings present provides a range of depths of investigation of the apparatus in its depth sounding application . switches sw 1 64 to sw n 64 n permit the routing of signals from receiver devices 1 to n to inputs 2 to n + 1 66 during normal operation , and from the calibration device to one , two or all of inputs 1 to n + 1 so that the relevant input may be calibrated relative to input 1 66 1 . [ 0065 ] fig7 is a schematic similar to the shown in fig6 but is enhanced through the addition of a plurality of receiver devices which may each be spaced differently from the transmitter . the range of spacings present provides a range of depths of investigation of the apparatus in its depth sounding application . the range of spacings present provides a range of depths of investigation of the apparatus in its depth sounding application . switches sw 1 to sw n 64 permit the routing of signals from receiver devices 1 to n to inputs 2 to n + 1 66 2 to n + 1 during normal operation , and from the calibration device to one , two or all of inputs 1 to n + 1 66 1 to n + 1 so that the relevant input may be calibrated relative to input 1 66 1 . in addition , switches sw n + 1 to sw 2n 671 to 2n permit the corresponding receiver device 1 to n or the calibration signal . the normal operating state would be sw 1 to sw n in the up state , and sw n + 1 to sw 2n in the down state . inverting sw1 to sw n to the down state substantially simultaneously with switching sw n + 1 to sw 2n to the up state permits the simultaneous re - routing of the calibration signal from inputs n + 1 to 2n into inputs 1 to n , while receiver signals 1 to n are re - routed to inputs n + 1 to 2n . this re - routing permits the calibration of inputs 1 to n with respect to inputs n + 1 to 2n without significant loss of receiver signal output . calibration could also be performed by switching one or more corresponding pairs of inputs rather than the entire set . [ 0066 ] fig8 schematically depicts an alternate embodiment of the calibration apparatus . the cx coil 12 supplies a signal through an attenuator 68 to certain poles on switch # 1 70 and directly to certain poles on switch # 2 72 . switch # 1 70 permits the cx signal to be routed to either the amp 1 preamplifier 74 ( state 0 ) or to the amp 2 preamplifier 76 ( state 1 ). in state 1 , the signal from the rx combined with the signal from switch # 2 ( if present ) is routed to the amp 1 preamplifier 74 and thence to anti - alias filters and the adc 1 78 . in state 0 , the signal from the rx ( combined with the output of switch # 2 , if present ) is routed to the amp 2 preamplifier 76 and thence to anti - alias filters and the adc 2 80 . state 1 may be considered to be the normal state of the circuit , in which the received signal from the rx ( combined with the output of switch # 2 , if present ) travels through the signal analog channel and is converted to a digital data stream by the sig adc 78 , while the calibration data travels through the calibration analog channel and is converted to a digital data stream by the cal adc 80 . when state 0 is selected , the signal and calibration signals travel through the calibration and signal analog channels and are digitized by the adc &# 39 ; s 1 and 2 ( 78 and 80 ), respectively . switching from state 1 to state 0 thus permits calibration of the signal analog circuits 74 and adc 1 78 using the signal from the cx , while continuing to acquire the signal from the rx 16 ( combined with the output of switch # 2 , if present ) via the calibration analog circuits 76 and adc 2 80 . the control circuitry and / or software controlling switch # 1 may swap the digital data streams generated by the adc &# 39 ; s 1 and 2 ( 78 and 80 ) in a complementary fashion when the analog data streams are switched between state 1 and state 0 , or this complementary switching may be performed during later processing of the digital data streams . the purpose of this aspect of the calibration apparatus and methodology is to ensure that both the signal and calibration analog circuitry and their corresponding adc &# 39 ; s may be calibrated in a symmetrical manner using the cx signal , and to ensure that negligible sig data loss occurs during the calibration operation . if switch # 2 72 is present , a separate pair of leads runs to certain poles on switch # 2 72 , which poles are normally open ( state 0 ), but when closed ( state 1 ) place the cx coil 12 in opposition to the rx coil 16 . if a bx coil 14 is present and distinct from the cx coil 12 and if switch # 2 72 is present , its leads run to certain poles on switch # 2 72 , which poles are normally closed ( state 0 ) so that the bx 12 is connected in opposition to the rx coil 16 for normal operation of the system . state 1 of switch # 2 72 is used for calibration of the cx coil 12 relative to the rx coil 16 , according to the following methodology . switch # 2 72 may be present in the circuit only during initial calibration of the system , when it may be used to position the cx 12 and / or rx 16 coils and / or to adjust the parameters of the cx 12 and / or rx 16 coils , such that the combined signal from the rx and cx due to direct pickup of the tx field is at a minimum . this methodology ensures that the calibration analog signal emanating from the cx precisely matches the amplitude and phase of the rx analog signal due to direct pickup of the tx field . [ 0069 ] fig9 shows a two - dimensional embodiment of the array conductivity meter ( acm ) for the case with three receiver assemblies ( m = 3 case ) in which the transmitter tx 10 is located at the center of the array ( hatched ring ), the three receiver assemblies rx 1 , rx 2 and rx 3 80 , 82 and 84 respectively are disposed symmetrically at the vertices of an equilateral triangle at distances r rx from the transmitter ( large solid rings ), and the calibration coil cx 12 is located in proximity to the tx , for example at location cx a between the transmitter tx and the receiver assemblies or cx b inside the transmitter . [ 0070 ] fig1 shows an two - dimensional embodiment of the acm for the case with four receiver assemblies ( m = 4 case ) in which the transmitter tx 10 is located at the center of the array ( hatched ring ), the four receiver assemblies rx 1 , rx 2 , rx 3 and r 4 92 , 94 , 96 and 98 respectively are disposed symmetrically at the vertices of a square at distances r rx from the transmitter ( large solid rings ). as with the configuration described above the calibration coil cx is located in proximity to the tx , for example at location cx a outside or cx b inside the transmitter 10 . [ 0071 ] fig1 schematically depicts the application of the alternate embodiment of the modular calibration apparatus for the case of a two - coil acm showing receiver coils rx 1 100 and rx 2 , 102 a transmitter tx 10 and a calibration coil cx 12 . in this simplified circuit diagram the two receiver coils 100 , 102 are normally connected in opposition via switch # 2 ( state 0 ) 104 . state 1 of switch # 1 106 routes the signal output from switch 2 104 through the signal preamplifier 108 to the sig adc 110 , while the cx signal is routed through the calibration preamplifier 112 to the cal adc 114 . state 2 of switch # 1 reverses these signals . [ 0072 ] fig1 shows a schematic of a simplified version of the sensing apparatus wherein the calibration device 12 ( cx ) signal passes via attenuator att # 1 116 ( which may include anti - alias filters ) directly to analog - digital converter adc 1 118 and thence to input 1 or calibration signal 120 , and also to poles on sw 1 122 . the first receiver device ( rx 1 ) 124 and the second receiver device ( rx 2 ) 126 signals pass via preamplifiers amp 1 128 and amp 2 130 ( which may include anti - alias filters ) to a second set of poles on switch sw 1 132 . the output poles of sw 1 132 connect to analog - digital converters adc 2 134 and adc 3 136 and thence to inputs 2 or rx 1 signal 138 and input 3 or rx signal 140 , respectively . in this arrangement , adc / input channels 2 and 3 receive receiver signals 1 and 2 when sw1 is in position 1 ( operate ), and may be calibrated using the calibration signal by placing sw 1 in position 0 ( calibrate ) while the calibration signal continues to be monitored by input 1 . this approach permits the calibration of the electronics of adc 2 and adc3 and inputs 2 and 3 , respectively , relative to adc 1 and input 1 . monitoring of the calibration signal on input 1 permits the continuous calibration of the system for variations in transmitter signal amplitude and / or phase . in fig1 , the calibration device 12 cx signal passes via attenuator att # 1 116 ( which may incude anti - alias filters ) directly to input 1 120 ( here assumed to include signal conditioners and an analog - digital converter ), and also to an input pole on sw 1 142 . the receiver device 144 ( rx ) signal is connected to the other input pole of sw 1 142 . the output pole of sw 1 142 connects to input 2 146 ( here assumed to include signal conditioners and an analog - digital converter .) in sw 1 position 1 ( operate ) the receiver signal is routed by the switch to input 2 . in sw 1 position 0 ( calibrate ) the calibration signal is routed by the switch to input 2 while continuing to be monitored by input 1 . this approach permits the calibration of input 2 relative to input 1 . monitoring of the calibration signal on input 1 permits the continuous calibration of the system for variations in transmitter signal amplitude and / or phase . [ 0074 ] fig1 , shows an embodiment which enhances the operation of the embodiment shown in fig1 through the addition of sw 2 150 , which provides a means independent of the state of sw 1 142 of routing either the calibration signal or the receiver signal to input 1 120 . the normal operating mode would be with sw 1 142 up and sw 2 150 down , so that the calibration signal is routed to input 1 while the receiver signal is routed to input 2 146 . by switching sw 1 to the down position , the calibration signal is routed through input 2 in order to calibrate it relative to input 1 . by inverting the normal operating mode by switching sw 1 down and sw 2 up substantially simultaneously , the calibration signal can be transferred from input 1 to input 2 , while simultaneously switching the receiver signal from input 2 to input 1 . thus the calibration signal can be applied to one channel at a time without significant loss of receiver signal output . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these figures describe the major components in the claimed embodiments of the present invention , and that other components , including but not limited to preamplifiers , amplifiers , filters , attenuators , analog - digital converters , and the details of the processing means , may or may not be represented , and that these other components may be located at more than one position in these drawings , such location differences leading to varying tradeoffs in performance , cost and flexibility in the resulting embodiment the invention consists of apparatus and methodology for improved quantitative measurement of the electromagnetic properties of earth materials . it includes two principal improvements over the state of the art and a number of secondary ones . the principal innovations comprise apparatus and methodology for quantitative calibration of the secondary field coupling ratio ( sfcr ) output of electromagnetic sensors ( or the analogous time - domain quantity in a time - domain sensor ) and apparatus and methodology for estimation of the electromagnetic properties of earth materials using multiple receiver arrays . one aspect of the invention provides a means of obtaining a precise amplitude and phase reference for calibration of electromagnetic sensors , and of using this calibration to compute calibrated secondary field coupling ratios ( sfcr &# 39 ; s ), which are the standard way to express the strength and phase behaviour of single or multi - frequency electromagnetic sensors . sfcr &# 39 ; s must also be computed , at least implicitly , when calibrating the output of time - domain electromagnetic sensors . specifically , quantitative calibration of electromagnetic sensors is accomplished through the use of a rigidly mounted calibration coil ( cx ) located in the vicinity of the transmitter coil ( tx ), preferably it is on or near the axis of the transmitter - receiver array . this coil should be wound such that its output arising from the primary field transmitted by the tx closely matches that of a receiver coil ( rx ) which is maximum - coupled to ( i . e . has the same geometrical configuration as ) the tx at that rx &# 39 ; s final location . the location of all coils is defined to be the geometric center of each coil . the cx position is then tuned by connecting the rx in opposition to the cx and monitoring the difference signal in an environment which generates negligible secondary field ( i . e . arising from eddy currents induced in the environment by the primary field ) response . the difference signal varies according to the location of the cx : at the optimal location , the difference signal goes through a minimum . the cx is then attached permanently to the mounting structure at this location . alternatively , the cx can be attached permanently at the outset of the procedure and the tx or rx position adjusted slightly to achieve the desired minimum in the difference signal before permanently attaching it to the mounting structure . when this procedure has been completed , the signal from the cx represents the strength of the primary field and is insensitive to variations in secondary field signal amplitude or phase ( as compared to the rx ) by the cube of the ratio of the distance between the tx and the rx to the distance between the tx and cx . a desired degree of sensitivity to a given maximum secondary field level in the calibration signal can be achieved by designing the cx effective area to be smaller than that of the rx by the desired sensitivity ratio and then mounting it at the appropriate distance ( the cube root of the ratio of the effective areas of the cx and the rx , multiplied by the tx - rx distance ) from the tx . the rx signal incorporates signals due to the secondary field and to the primary field . the rx and cx signals are digitized and may be digitally filtered , before computation of the discrete or fast fourier transform is performed to yield complex ( i . e . real and imaginary ) components at one or more frequencies of each signal , known as the signal and calibration , respectively . the complex ratio of the signal to the calibration at the frequency under consideration is multiplied by three factors the first relating to the complex ratio of the transfer functions of the preamplifier , amplifier , filters and analog to digital converters between the signal and calibration electronic channels at the frequency under consideration , the second to the effective areas of the cx , rx and bx ( if present ), and the third to the cubed ratio of the tx - rx distance to the tx - cx distance . the transfer function ratio between the signal and calibration electronic channels is estimated by switching the cx signal into each signal electronic channel using an appropriate switch or electronic switching network while continuing to monitor the cx signal through the calibration electronic channel , fourier - transforming the two signals , and computing the complex ratio of each cx - via - signal frequency component to the corresponding calibration frequency component . by maintaining an extra signal electronic channel through which any displaced rx signal can be digitized , or by simply swapping the rx and bx signals in a single - receiver system , the transfer function ratios at for each signal channel can be determined relative to the calibration channel at each frequency under consideration , improvements in this aspect of the calibration method and apparatus over the state of the art include : the use of electronic or switch switching to achieve effectively continuous digitisation of all data channels , which minimises the loss of data and so maximises the quantity of information obtained per unit of energy expended in the em transmitter , and the availability of explicit formulas for conversion of the signal and calibration measurements into the sfcr &# 39 ; s . the availability of continuous calibration information during the measurement is an improvement on methods in which the calibration is sampled at intervals . precise values of the transfer functions may be obtained during the measurement without significant loss of data . this ensures that errors in the sfcr &# 39 ; s due to temporal or thermally - induced changes in the transfer functions of the calibration or signal channels are reduced to negligible levels . variations in tx output amplitude or phase are automatically eliminated from the sfcr &# 39 ; s by this technique on a continuous basis . conventional hem sensors or signal processors , and some other mems and tcm &# 39 ; s , incorporate no means of compensating for such variations on a dynamic basis and must rely on the stability or regulation of the transmitter circuit and receiver circuitry themselves . another aspect of the invention exploits the observation that adding multiple receiver elements to a self - contained em sounding instrument need not add significantly to the instrument &# 39 ; s power consumption . the inclusion of multiple em receivers set up as an array relative to an em transmitter yield considerable additional information about the distribution of earth materials properties in the vicinity of the array . for depth sounding , the doi below the em sensor for each value of tx - rx coil separation or r rx 30 ( shown in fig1 ) or r 1 42 ( shown in fig4 ) in the array is strongly related to this separation . this effect is most easily exploited in the low induction number regime , i . e . when all coil separations are smaller than one - third of the average electromagnetic skin depth in the near - surface materials , although the benefits do persist at declining levels to larger values of coil separation and / or sensor height . in the low induction number regime , as noted during the description of the prior art , the rule - of - thumb doi for the hcop configuration is 1 . 5 times the tx - rx separation , while the doi for the plc is 0 . 5 times the tx - rx separation . for example , including multiple receiver assemblies as indicated in fig4 yields m doi &# 39 ; s of 1 . 5r 1 , 1 . 5 r 2 , . . . 1 . 5 r m when hcop receiver coils are included in the receiver assemblies , and m doi &# 39 ; s of 0 . 5 r 1 , 0 . 5 r 2 , . . . 0 . 5 r m when plc receiver coils are included in the receiver assemblies . these multiple doi &# 39 ; s provide mutually independent information about the conductivity structure of earth materials in the vicinity of the sensor array , which can be interpreted using a variety of techniques to yield an approximate image of the conductivity structure . such interpretation can be performed in real time for use by an operator or as an input to a process or machine . for enhanced detection of regions of anomalous earth materials properties in the vicinity of the array , multiple receiver assemblies may be disposed symmetrically about the transmitter . in the simplest case , pairs of receiver assemblies ( for m = 2 , 4 , 6 , . . . ) could be located at symmetrical distance increments to either side of the transmitter . such an array could be moved perpendicular to its long axis to search a swath for gradient anomalies in earth material conductivities . additional receiver assemblies could be added at the vertices of a polygon centered on the transmitter to improve areal coverage of the array ( eg fig9 - 10 ). for even values of the receiver assembly count m , symmetrical elements of the array may be directly connected in opposition and their combined outputs processed electronically ( see fig1 ) or their processed outputs may be differenced after acquisition ( see fig1 ). note that if the receiver assembly count m is an odd number ( eg fig9 ), direct connection in opposition is not an option . the direct - connection approach , in which only the difference signal between a given pair of coils is amplified , acquired and processed , yields a wider dynamic range , since most common em noise sources such as sferics ( arising from distant lightning strokes ) and power line interference tend to be relatively uniform over practical array dimensions ranging from fractional meters to say ten meters . the parallel - acquisition approach is more flexible and diagnostic , and may be implemented without major losses in dynamic range if high precision adc &# 39 ; s are used for data acquisition of each receiver &# 39 ; s output . parallel - acquisition also permits depth sounding data to be acquired along the swath covered by the array at doi &# 39 ; s dictated by the tx - rx separation and the receiver coil configuration ( s ) in each receiver assembly . the calibration methodology described above can be readily applied to this geometry , using a cx coil located either inside or outside of the tx ( eg at locations cx a or cx b in fig7 - 8 ) it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these two aspects of the present invention can have wide applications and can be incorporated into a wide variety of electromagnetic systems . the following are some examples of the application of the present invention : em sensors , in which the transmitter coil ( s ), calibration coil ( s ), receiver coils ( s ) and bucking coil ( s ) are integrated into the wing of an aircraft made of nonconductive composite materials ; calibration using transmitter current monitors rather than magnetic field pickup via cx coils ; application of inversion methods to multiple - receiver data for conductivity - depth section construction ; and method for improved estimation of the thickness and conductivity of a layer of moderate conductivity overlying a more conductive layer of known conductivity ( theoretical development not included here at this point ). it will be appreciated that the above description relates to the invention by way of example only . many variations on the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and such obvious variations are within the scope of the invention as described herein whether or not expressly described . | 6 |
a preferred embodiment of a hub and pole assembly ( 10 ) in accordance with the invention is shown by itself in fig1 - 4 . the hub and pole assembly ( 10 ) comprises a hub ( 12 ) and a plurality of poles ( 14 ) attached thereto . the hub ( 10 ) comprises first and second portions ( 16 , 18 ) that are pivotally connected to each other about a hub axis . preferably , the first and second portions ( 16 , 18 ) are each a crossmember that crisscrosses the other crossmember . to minimize the thickness of the hub ( 12 ) without significantly impacting the strength and stiffness of the crossmembers ( 16 , 18 ), the first crossmember ( 16 ) comprises an opening ( 20 ) through which the second crossmember ( 18 ) extends . a central screw ( 22 ) is aligned with the hub axis and extends through the first and second crossmembers ( 16 , 18 ). a nut ( 24 ) secures the central screw ( 22 ) to the first crossmember ( 16 ) and the central screw ( 22 ) serves as an axle about which the second crossmember ( 18 ) can pivot . the opening ( 20 ) of the first crossmember ( 16 ) is preferably dimensioned such that the second crossmember ( 18 ) is pivotable through a range of slightly less than sixty degrees relative to the first crossmember ( 16 ). in the middle of its pivotable range , the second crossmember ( 18 ) preferably extends longitudinally at ninety degrees from the longitudinal direction of the first crossmember ( 16 ). fig1 and 2 depict the two extremes of the pivotal nature between the first and second crossmembers ( 16 , 18 ). the first crossmember ( 16 ) also preferably comprises a pair of oppositely projecting wings ( 26 ) that extend outwardly adjacent the opening ( 20 ) of the first crossmember . the wings ( 26 ) help prevent pliable shell material from interfering with the pivotal nature of the hub ( 12 ) when , as shown in fig5 , the hub and pole assembly ( 10 ) is attached to a pliable shell ( 28 ) to form a collapsible shelter ( 30 ) . the hub 12 also preferably comprises a plurality of pole attachment portions ( 32 ) that connect the poles ( 14 ) to the crossmembers ( 16 , 18 ). the pole attachment portions ( 32 ) preferably are pivotally attached adjacent the longitudinal ends of crossmembers ( 16 , 18 ) via screws ( 34 ). preferably , the screws ( 34 ) are oriented perpendicular to the radial and axial directions defined by the central screw ( 22 ) of the hub ( 12 ). each pole attachment portion ( 32 ) also preferably comprises a socket ( 36 ) configured to receive the end of the pole ( 14 ), which is preferably press fit or adhered into the socket such that it cannot easily be removed therefrom . each of the longitudinal ends of each of the crossmembers ( 16 , 18 ) preferably comprises a pivot - stop ( 38 ) that is configured to engage and abut the respective pole attachment portion ( 32 ) in a manner preventing the pole attachment portion from pivoting beyond a particular limit . when a collapsible shelter ( 30 ) comprising the hub and pole assembly ( 10 ) is in its erected configuration , each pole attachment portion ( 32 ) is biased against and firmly engages its respective pivot - stop ( 38 ). the hub and pole assembly ( 10 ) of the preferred embodiment is particularly configured to serve as a roof hub and pole assembly of a collapsible shelter ( 30 ), as shown in fig5 . each pole ( 14 ) that is attached to the hub ( 12 ) is preferably one of several poles that together constitute one of several legs ( 40 ) of the collapsible shelter ( 30 ). as shown in fig5 , each leg ( 40 ) of the collapsible shelter ( 30 ) passes through several loops ( 42 ) that are connected to the pliable shell ( 28 ) of the shelter . each leg ( 40 ) preferably comprises two telescopically attached pole sections ( 44 ) that extend primarily vertical . each leg ( 40 ) also preferably comprises an elbow joint ( 46 ) that pivotally connects the upper one of the telescopically attached pole sections ( 44 ) to the pole ( 14 ) of the leg that is connected to the hub ( 12 ). like the crossmembers ( 16 , 18 ) of the hub ( 12 ), each elbow joint also comprises pivot - stops that prevent the included angle between the telescopically attached pole sections ( 44 ) and the pole ( 14 ) of the respective leg ( 40 ) from decreasing beyond a particular amount , such as that shown in fig5 . in view of the foregoing , it should be appreciated that when the collapsible shelter ( 30 ) is in its erected configuration ( as shown in fig5 ), each leg ( 40 ) is generally rigid . in other words , the leg ( 40 ) can resiliently flex but it will not pivot at its elbow joint ( 46 ) or relative to the respective crossmember ( 16 or 18 ) that it is attached to because the pliable shell prevents it from doing so . thus , it follows then that the two or more legs ( 40 ) that are attached to a particular one of the crossmembers ( 16 , 18 ) of the hub ( 12 ) together also act as a generally rigid unit . notably however , due to the pivotal nature of the hub ( 12 ), such legs ( 40 ) are able to pivot about the hub axis relative to the two or more legs ( 40 ) that are attached to the other of the crossmembers ( 16 , 18 ). when the collapsible shelter ( 30 ) is collapsed , the poles ( 14 ) attached to the crossmembers ( 16 , 18 ) pivot about the screws ( 34 ) that secure the pole attachment portions ( 32 ) to their respective crossmember , as shown in fig3 . the telescopically attached pole sections ( 44 ) can also be collapsed and the leg can be folded in over itself via the elbow joint ( 46 ) that pivotally connects the upper one of the telescopically attached pole sections ( 44 ) to the pole ( 14 ) of the leg . thus , the hub and pole assembly ( 10 ) allows the collapsible shelter ( 30 ) to be stored or transported compactly . in view of the foregoing , it should be appreciated that the invention has several advantages over the prior art . as various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting . thus , the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents . it should also be understood that when introducing elements of the present invention in the claims or in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention , the terms “ comprising ,” “ including ,” and “ having ” are intended to be open - ended and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements . additionally , the term “ portion ” should be construed as meaning some or all of the item or element that it qualifies . moreover , use of identifiers such as first , second , and third should not be construed in a manner imposing any relative position or time sequence between limitations . still further , the order in which the steps of any method claim that follows are presented should not be construed in a manner limiting the order in which such steps must be performed , unless such and order is inherent . | 8 |
accompanying fig1 depicts a system 10 which embodies an improved process for forming environmentally desensitized carpet yarns of the present invention . in this regard , a supply tank 12 containing a fiber - forming thermoplastic polymer in chip or flake form supplies a melt extruder 14 which forms a flowable melt of the thermoplastic polymer . preferably , the thermoplastic polymer is a nylon , such as nylon 6 , nylon 6 , 6 and the like . the melt flow of thermoplastic polymer is then directed to metering pumps 16 which deliver a metered flow of the thermoplastic polymer melt to the spinnerette 18 . as is well known , the melt flow of thermoplastic material is extruded through multiple orifices in the spinnerette 18 to form a corresponding plurality of filamentary polymeric strands 20 . before entering the spinnerette orifices , the melt flow of polymer has been filtered , as is generally employed and well understood by those of skill in the art . the particular temperature for the polymer in the spinnerette 18 depends upon the type of polymer being spun as well as its molecular weight . alternatively , the polymer may be made and spun in a one step process . that is , the polymer may be polymerized continuously from its constituent monomers and then fed as an already molten stream to the spinnerette . in such a case , of course , the melt extruder would not necessarily be employed . the molten filamentary polymeric strands 20 are quenched by means of a standard quench cabinet 22 which provides a flow of transversely moving cooling gas , especially air , as shown by the arrows . the thus solidified filamentary polymer strands are then configured into a close - packed , essentially monofilamentary layer so that a lubricating composition may be applied thereto by means of a finish applicator 24 . virtually any conventional finish applicator 24 may be employed , such as those disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 893 , 412 ( the entire content of which is expressly incorporated hereinto by reference ). guides 26 are employed to direct the individual lubricated multifilamentary yarn around a standard , commercially available , unheated pre - tensioning godet and separator roll 28 . the pretensioned multifilamentary yarn is then supplied to a first set of heated duo rolls 30 and then to a second set of heated duo rolls 32 operating at yarn speeds at the duo rolls 32 of from about 2000 to about 4500 m / min , more preferably between about 2700 and about 3800 m / min . the yarn is thus drawn between the rolls 30 and 32 at a draw ratio of between about 1 . 4 ( for high drawing speeds ) to about 3 . 6 ( for low drawing speeds ), preferably between about 2 . 8 to about 3 . 6 , and most preferably between about 3 . 0 to about 3 . 2 . the temperature of the second set of duo rolls 32 is most preferably at least between about 70 ° c . to about 190 ° c . greater than the temperature of the first set of duo rolls 30 . thus , for example , when processing nylon - 6 yarns , a temperature of between about 50 to about 70 ° c . for the first set of duo rolls 30 is desirable , whereas a temperature of between about 170 to about 200 ° c . ( advantageously about 190 ° c .) for the second set of duo rolls 32 is desirable . where processing nylon 6 , 6 yarns , a temperature of between about 50 to about 100 ° c . for the first set of duo rolls 30 is desirable , whereas a temperature of between about 170 to about 240 ° c . for the second set of duo rolls 32 is desirable . this relatively high draw ratio achieved between the first set of duo rolls 30 and the second set of duo rolls 32 and the relatively high precrimp temperature achieved at the second set of duo rolls 32 is believed to decrease substantially the sensitivity of the resulting carpet yarn when the yarn also exhibits a relatively high moisture content . although the duo roll 30 is depicted in fig1 as comprising a set of rolls , the process and systems in accordance with the present invention may be advantageously practiced with a single heated roll and an idler roll providing similar functions . the drawn and precrimped yarn is then directed to a conventional texturing unit 34 in order to produce a relatively bulky yarn which is discharged in crimped form onto a commercially available cooling drum 36 . directing the threadline into the individual texturing unit 34 can be conveniently accomplished by means of the devices disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 280 , 260 ( the entire content of which is expressly incorporated hereinto by reference ). the texturing unit 34 is preferably a fluid jet texturing unit well known to those of skill in the art and exemplified by u . s . pat . no . 6 , 141 , 843 , the entire content of each being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference . one particularly preferred texturizing unit is model no . stm - 25 commercially available from barmag / saurer gmbh & amp ; co . kg . the textured yarn is removed from the cooling drum 36 by means of guide roll 38 and takeaway godet 40 . the textured yarn is passed through a conventional fluid interlacer jet 42 to as to entangle the individual filaments in the yarn . the fluid interlacing jet may be , for example , those disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 115 , 691 and 3 , 125 , 793 , the entire content of each being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference . the interlaced yarn is then directed via rolls 44 to a compensator 46 which facilitates winding of the yarn onto a take - up spool at the winder 56 . important to the present invention , however , is that prior to being wound onto the take - up winder 56 , the moisture content of the yarn is increased by bringing the yarn into contact with water applied via a water applicator assembly 48 . in this regard , deionized water at a substantially constant flow rate is supplied to the applicator assembly 48 by means of a non - peristaltic , continuous pressure , steady stream pump 50 . one particularly preferred pump 50 is model spx - 12 - 0500s1 commercially available from slack & amp ; parr ltd . of derby , england . the pump 50 supplies a constant uninterrupted stream of water at a relatively low pressure of less than about 10 inches - h 2 o which is maintained by head tank 52 . make - up deionized water is supplied to the tank 52 via valve 54 . an increased moisture content is thereby imparted to the filaments in the textured yarn by virtue of the applicator assembly 48 . the yarn spool at the winder 56 is most preferably encased in a sealed moisture - proof plastic envelope ( not shown ) and allowed to age for a few days , e . g ., for about 1 day up to about 14 days , and more preferably at least about 7 to about 10 days . alternatively , the yarn spool may be placed in a rigid moisture - proof container so as to seal it against water evaporation and / or placed in a humidity controlled atmosphere ( e . g ., a room or enclosure having between about 80 to about 100 % relative humidity atmosphere ). when wrapped with a moisture - proof plastic envelope , it is presently preferred to use a film formed of a polyolefin ( e . g ., polypropylene ) having a sufficient thickness and / or wrapped a sufficient number of time to achieve the moisture - proof envelope that is desired . especially preferred films for such purpose include 0 . 8 mil thick polypropylene film which is wrapped around the package several turns ( e . g ., about three turns ). multiple yarn spools are most preferably wrapped by the film . in this manner , the yarn on the spool will be further exposed to its own high moisture content environment within the envelope thereby facilitating its take - up of moisture to achieve the desired high moisture content as noted above . an especially preferred water applicator assembly 48 is depicted in cross - sectional schematic fashion in accompanying fig2 . in this regard , the water applicator assembly includes a winged wheel 48 - 1 to direct the textured yarn to a stationary applicator guide 48 - 2 . the applicator guide 48 - 2 includes a smooth convex surface 48 - 2 a surrounded by a pair of lateral guide arms 48 - 2 a ( only one of such arms 48 - 2 a being depicted in the cross - sectional view of fig2 ). a supply channel 48 - 2 c fluid - connects a supply inlet port 48 - 2 d to the surface 48 - 2 a . the supply inlet port 48 - 2 d is in turn fluid - connected to the non - peristaltic pump 50 . thus , a constant uninterrupted stream of water at a relatively low pressure is fed into the inlet port 48 - 2 d and is discharged onto the surface 48 - 2 a where it contacts the traveling textured yarn being guided therealong . the supply of water is thus picked up by the traveling textured yarn prior to proceeding to the winder 56 . excess water which is discharged to the surface 48 - 2 a but which is not picked up by the traveling textured yarn is captured within an anti - spray housing ( not shown ) surrounding the applicator assembly 48 and recycled for further use . it has been found according to the present invention that an increased moisture content of greater than about 3 . 5 wt . %, preferably between about 4 to about 10 wt . % ( based on the total yarn weight ), and more preferably between about 5 . 0 to about 8 . 0 wt . % yields carpet yarn which is dramatically less sensitive to ambient environmental conditions or temperature and / or atmospheric moisture ( relative humidity ). when the multifilamentary yarn is formed of nylon - 6 filaments , it has been found that a moisture content of between about 6 . 0 to about 7 . 0 wt . % (+/− about 0 . 5 wt . %) is especially desirable . the present invention will be further understood by reference to the following non - limiting example . a 1400 d solution dyed nylon - 6 automotive carpet yarn was made with 3 % ( low ) water addition using a peristaltic pump . the conditioned yarn was packaged in two stretch wrap units and aged in inventory for 10 days . after the initial 10 days , one of the stretch wrap units was opened and stored in a controlled environment of 85 % relative humidity ( wet ). the other stretch wrap unit of the low water addition conditioned yarn remained sealed in the stretch wrap ( dry ). after humid conditioning for 10 days , the wet yarn samples were tufted into the same carpet with the dry yarn samples . the wet and dry yarn samples were arranged in bands so that they could be compared side - by - side . the wet yarn in the carpet appeared visually darker due to crimp relaxation in the humid environment . likewise the dry yarn in the carpet appeared lighter since it has not been exposed to environmental moisture . example 1 was repeated using a 1400 d solution dyed automotive yarn was conditioned with 6 % ( high ) water addition using a non - peristaltic , continuous pressure , steady stream pump . the conditioned high water addition yarn was packaged in two stretch wrap units and aged in inventory for 10 days . after the initial 10 days , one of the stretch wrap units was opened and stored in a controlled environment of 85 % relative humidity ( wet ). the other stretch wrap unit of high moisture addition yarn remained sealed in the stretch wrap ( dry ). after humid conditioning for 10 days , the wet yarn samples were tufted into the same carpet with the dry yarn samples . the wet and dry yarn samples were arranged in bands so that they could be compared side - by - side . the yarn in the carpet with 6 % ( high ) water add - on exhibited less contrast wet to dry ( light to dark ) as compared to the 3 % ( low ) water add - on yarn . the additional water content which was added to the yarn by means of the present invention thus desensitized the yarn from the environmental difference . the moisture add - on effects of peristaltic and non - peristaltic pumps were examined using 1400 d solution dyed nylon - 6 automotive carpet yarn . the results graphically appear in fig3 . as shown , all other parameters being equal , a non - peristaltic pump achieves greater water add - on to the yarn as compared to a peristaltic pump at all pump rpm outputs . furthermore , by using a non - peristaltic pump , a greater maximum water add - on as compared to conventional peristaltic pumps is possible . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment , but on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 3 |
although the following description focuses on a patio door screen , it is not intended that the invention be limited in this aspect . the invention also may be embodied with other doors , windows , or the like . those skilled in the art will recognize these other uses without limitation . referring generally to the figures , there is illustrated a screen frame assembly ( 10 ) which includes a screen housing ( 14 ) and frame sections ( 11 , 12 , and 13 ) making up the frame ( 10 ). the assembly ( 10 ) slides within an opening of a closure assembly such as a patio door . the sliding action of the screen frame ( 10 ) is accomplished by sliding the screen frame along the edges ( 11 b and 13 b ) within tracks or channels normally found within a patio door assembly . these channels are found in the sill and the header of the door assembly . the screen frame ( 10 ) therefore moves as is known in prior art sliding constructions . however , integral with the framing section ( 10 ) is a compartment ( 15 ) within which is found a spring biased roll screen assembly . as best seen in fig2 the leading edge ( 31 ) of the screen ( 30 ) travels within the inside edges ( 13 a and 11 a ) of the frame portions ( 11 and 13 ) to and from a fully accumulated position wherein the screen is accumulated on the roll tube which will be described hereinafter , to a fully extended position wherein the leading edge ( 31 ) is located proximate the channel portion ( 12 a ) adjacent the interior of section ( 12 ) which screen edge ( 31 ) may be latched and / or locked in position . whether the screen ( 30 ) is at the fully accumulated or the fully extended position , the entire screen assembly ( 10 ) may be slid across the patio door opening . in this manner , the screen is slid out of a position where it might block the threshold to an occupant . this allows passage of wheel chairs , walkers and the like in a simple manner and overcomes one of the problems in the art . as best seen in fig3 and 4 the portion ( 13 b ) of section ( 13 ) has opening ( b ) therein to be received in standard sized channels or rails provided in the sill and header frames of the track assembly . the leading edge of the screen ( 31 ) will slide or be guided via guide ( g ) within the section ( 13 a ) within channel ( a ) thereof as described above and hereinafter to assist motion of the leading edge ( 31 ) of the screen ( 30 ). rollers ( r ) may be provided with the brackets ( 21 and 20 ) at mounting slots ( 20 d ) and ( 21 d ) which rollers travel within the sill track . they also may be provided for brackets ( 22 ) and ( 23 ) for the header . the bracket portions ( 20 , 21 , 22 and 23 ) also provide channel portions ( 20 a , 21 a , 22 a and 23 a ) which marry within the track portions of the closure assembly and which assist with the assembly of the screen frame 10 . as seen in fig1 a leg portions ( d ) and ( f ) for brackets ( 20 and 22 ) and ( 21 and 23 ) respectively interfit in channels ( b ), ( d ′) and ( b ′) respectively to assemble the frame sections ( 11 , 12 and 13 ) with the housing ( 14 ). the brackets also provide extensions for example , track portion ( 13 b ) and providing a channel ( b ) to receive the track disposed within the sill and header of the rails normally provided . the roller ( r ) therefore is spring biased as is known to accommodate various tensions . release pins may be provided , as is known , within the legs of brackets ( 21 and 23 ) to allow installation and replacement of the screen frame in a similar manner as conventional planer screen frames , which are known in the art . the brackets ( 22 and 20 ) support the roll screen assembly ( s ) therebetween mounted on a tube . the tube has a slot in it to receive one end of the screen with the other end of the screen being proximate the exit from the tube housing ( 15 ) as best seen in fig1 at ( 15 c ). the brackets ( 20 and 22 ) as best seen in fig6 , 8 and 9 have holes therein for aligning with holes ( y ) within the housing ( 14 ) to align the portion ( 22 z ) with portion ( 15 b ) and receipt of threaded screws . the mouth ( 15 c ) therefore of the cover ( 15 ) allows for the free end ( 31 ) of the screen assembly ( 30 ) to extend therefrom . locking portions ( 22 c ) provide locking of the roller tube in position . when fully assembled the screen assembly ( 10 ) therefore can replace an existing sliding screen utilizing the same channels of the existing patio door . this enables the homeowner to effect the replacement without the need for an experienced installer or add on supplementary components . no assembling is required . the screen assembly 10 merely drops into the existing channels . as can be seen from the figures , the present invention resembles the well - known prior art sliding patio door screen in that it may be slid from a position where it fully covers the door opening to a position where it does not . however , it clearly has the added advantage in that the screen may be accumulated on the roller when the entire frame is at the first position so that it does not block the view of the occupants when the patio door is in fact closed . however , when the patio door is open , the roll screen may be extended to the fully extended position and latched thereat so as to prevent insects from entering the dwelling . however , when an occupant wishes to exit the dwelling , the patio screen assembly ( 10 ) may be slid in a conventional manner so as to not obstruct the threshold as is the case with prior art structures discussed in the background of the invention . the framing sections ( 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 ) may be made from aluminum extrusions or the like , and the brackets ( 20 , 21 , 22 and 23 ) may be manufactured from nylon or other resins . section 14 may be an aluminum extrusion as well . the entire assembly may be provided in a kit of components wherein all of the framing sections ( 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 ), brackets ( 20 , 21 , 22 and 23 ) housing ( 14 ) and the roller screen assembly may be provided in the kit which may be easily assembled . when compared to the prior art constructions of phantom ™ or mirage ™, instead of the typical 22 steps in order to provide such a prior art construction which typically is done by an expensive installer , the present roll out screen will be marketed for substantially the same price as the well - known standard sliding planer screens in various consumer outlets and may be used to replace standard screens when they are in need of repair . further applicants may utilize the flexible screen connectors of fig1 in the screen assembly ( 10 ) as taught in its prior patent technology referenced above , using a roll tube having a compatible detent therein and handle portion having compatible detent therein for receiving the flexible t - shaped connector at each end of a screen cloth which may therefore may accommodate easy screen replacement . it is required that the same dimensions ( length , width and thickness ) be utilized for the threshold and header track engaging framing portions ( 11 and 13 ) as those which are standard at the present date . this will allow for easy replacement of the conventional planer screen with the present invention . as is taught in applicant &# 39 ; s prior invention the tube may be tensioned by the means as disclosed therein . referring now to fig1 , 10 a , 11 , 11 a , 11 b , and 14 there is illustrated the assembly ( 10 ) of fig1 engaging top rail ( r t ) bottom rail ( r b ) proximate the top thereof ( l ). conveniently therefore the sections ( 11 ) and ( 13 ) are provided having openings or channel sections as best seen in fig3 and 4 at ( 11 a ) and ( 11 b ) and ( 13 a ) and ( 13 b ) which as best seen in fig1 defining the top and bottom sections of the screen assembly ( 10 ) which now includes the housing for the roll out screen ( s ) and the frame sections ( 11 ) and ( 13 ) which includes an upper and a lower section or profile ( 11 a ) and ( 11 b ), ( 13 a ) and ( 13 b ) respectively . the inside portions ( 11 a ) and ( 13 a ) are for the receipt of the legs ( d ) and ( f ) of the brackets ( 20 , 21 , 22 and 23 ) to close the frame sections and integrate the entire assembly by attaching the housing and roll screen thereto . clearly , as can best be seen in fig1 a the roller ( r ) 24 ¢, engages the rail ( r b ) proximate the top thereof ( l ) in a conventional manner , said roller being provided with the brackets ( 21 and 20 ) and preferably ( 23 and 22 ) as previously described in relation to fig2 . the patio screen assembly ( 10 ) will therefore be free to roll upon the rails ( t , r and b ) in a conventional manner . however , the sections ( 11 and 13 ) also include sections ( 13 a and 11 a ) for receipt of and the carriage of the guide ( g ) for the handle ( h ) of the screen assembly accumulated on the tube ( t ) advanced via handle ( h ) to the guides ( 11 a and 13 a ) to proximate the section opening of ( 12 a ) where at the handle may be latched . the latch is not illustrated nor described and would be as is known . the brackets therefore in combination with the framing sections ( 11 , 12 , and 13 ) provide , along with housing ( 14 ), an integrated screen frame which will slide along the known rails in a patio door closure assembly with the guides ( g ) attached to handle ( h ) via the legs which extend upwardly and downwardly into the opening provided in the handle with the handle being engaged with the t section shown in fig1 at ( s 2 ) attached to the screen and the handle at ( 305 y ) and to the tube at ( 305 x ) via t section ( s 1 ). as seen in fig1 b the tube is attached to bushings ( b 1 and b 2 ) which are subsequently attached to the pins provided with each bracket ( 20 and 22 ) to allow for the rotation of the tube . the bushings therefore provide for the pivoting of the tube while the spring is attached to the pivot ( 20 b and 22 b ) and allows for pre - winding of the roller screen to a pre - determined tension to ensure that it will return to its fully accumulated position . referring now to fig1 and 13 there is illustrated examples of the various forms which the present invention may take without intending any limitation being derived by the reader in providing these examples . with regard to fig1 there is illustrated corresponding sections found in prior art installations typical for a slider window , for example a , wherein a channel is provided within which a typical screen frame fixed in position . however , the screen frame blocks the view of the individual as it is permanently placed in position until such time as it is removed . as seen in fig1 a , the present invention provides for a combination of the screen including a frame which engages the same channel section in the prior art window of fig1 a , and yet provides with the same frame section , the movement of the roll screen to and from the housing ( 14 ) to allow for the occupant to have the screen in place when the window is open and have the screen out of view when the window is closed . this may be accomplished utilizing the same window channel provided in known window and typically slider window constructions . referring now to fig1 b , there is illustrated a typical rail of a patio door having a section ( l ) which engages a roller attached to a frame section which also has permanently installed therewith a screen . with regard to fig1 b , the present invention includes and provides with the framing section and the assembly 10 , as seen and described in relation to the prior figures , a roller within section ( 13 b ) which engages the known rail ( l ) within channel section ( 13 b ), and wherein in addition the free end ( 31 ) of the roll screen is movable within the channel ( 13 a ) of section 13 . the same advantages are described in relation to fig1 a and are realized therefore as well with the patio door screen embodying the invention . the screen frame may roll on the rail ( l ) and the screen may be guided to and from an accessible position to a position wherein the screen is out of view . referring now to fig1 c or 12 d there is illustrated a typical casement window planer screen which is attached to a framing section permanently and would permanently block the view of an occupant through the casement window . the planer screen is released via a pin release in fig1 c or with a pivot pin in fig1 d moved in the directions indicated . utilizing the same channels and stops therefore the present invention in fig1 c and 13d provide for placing of a casement screen of the present invention in exactly the same manner as with the prior art constructions with the additional combination heretofore unknown of the framing section ( 13 ″) including portions ( 13 ″ b ) for engaging the known hardware within the frame section and section ( 13 ″ a ) for providing for the guiding channel of the free end of a roll out screen assembly which has been integrated therewith . as is normally required it is highly recommended that sealing portions ( not shown ) be provided for sections 12 and housing 14 disposed along the entire outside vertical edges thereof . referring now to fig1 a , 2a , 3 a , 4 a , 6 a , 7 a , 8 a , 9 a , 10 b , 10 c , 11 e and 11 d there is illustrated the screen assembly ( 100 ) similar in all respects to screen assembly ( 10 ) as previously described with the difference being that the screen assembly ( 100 ) does not roll or slide within a track . the screen assembly ( 100 ) which includes sections ( 111 , 112 , 113 ) and housing ( 114 ) supported on brackets ( 120 and 122 ) and further assembled with the assistance of brackets ( 121 and 123 ) consistent with the previous patio door example , and utilizing the similar bracket ( 122 ) for example in fig6 a and 7a which includes a leg ( 122 x ) which will be inserted within the framing sections ( 113 and 111 ) to assist with the assembly of the embodiment . as best seen in fig1 c , 11d and 11 e the conventional u - shaped section ( 200 ) is provided in a window assembly frame to which the window screen ( 100 ) will engage in a manner as shown in relation to fig1 b and 10c consistent with previously described patio door embodiment with the section ( 200 ) being engaged by the leg ( 122 b ) of the window screen ( 100 ) having a roll screen as seen in fig1 e contained within the housing ( 114 ) identical to fig1 a in all respects except that it is now a window screen as opposed to a patio door screen . therefore , fig1 b and 11e are comparable and the reader is referred thereto for like parts , and the operation thereof with the exception of the sliding . the descriptions are very much the same . the essence therefore , is that the window screen assembly ( 100 ) will interfit within the frame section ( 200 ) provided adjacent the header and sill of a window closure assembly with the invention ( 100 ) including the roll out screen within housing ( 114 ) being guided via guides ( g ) within frame elements ( 111 a and 113 a ) to and from the accumulated and the employed position . when the window screen requires replacement or repair , it can easily be removed from the channel ( 200 ), repaired or replaced by dropping the new screen or repaired screen in position . the window embodiment of window screen ( 100 ) may also be utilized with the other examples provided in fig1 a , b and c . a man skilled in the art would understand what minor modifications would have to be made to do so . therefore , in essence the present invention provides for a combination of features heretofore unknown allowing for installation of the various forms of the invention within the hardware and channel portions already provided with known window constructions , patio door constructions , and casement window constructions . the illustrations and descriptions in relation to fig1 and 13 are for illustrative purposes only and in no way limit the invention . as many changes can be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope thereof . it is intended that all matter contained herein be considered illustrative of the invention and not it a limiting sense . | 4 |
reference will now be made in detail to embodiments , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . in the following detailed description , numerous non - limiting specific details are set forth in order to assist in understanding the subject matter presented herein . it will be apparent , however , to one of ordinary skill in the art that various alternatives may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention and the subject matter may be practiced without these specific details . for example , it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the subject matter presented herein can be implemented on any type of standalone system or client - server compatible system containing any type of client , network , server , and database elements . wherever possible , like reference numbers will be used for like elements . a web - based system is a web - based or internet enabled desktop or mobile software application . a web - based system is a software system that communicates with a server or backend system over the internet . a web - based application is accessed by its users over the internet . an internet enabled desktop or mobile application may need its users to access its functionality in a browser . web service ( also webservice ), as defined by the w3c , is a software system designed to support interoperable machine - to - machine interaction over a network . an application programming interface ( api ) is an interface that defines the ways by which an application program may request services from libraries and / or operating systems . real - time in the context of this invention is as the user performs an action . fig1 is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment 100 in accordance with the present invention where usage data may be recorded client - side , transmitted to and stored on one or more servers , then accessed over a network . the exemplary system 100 comprises a computer 101 , which may be connected to a network 10 ( e . g ., wide area network ( wan ), metropolitan area network ( man ), or local area network ( lan )) over a wired ( e . g ., tcp / ip over ethernet , ieee 802 . 3 ) or wireless ( e . g ., wifi ( 802 . 11 ), gsm , gprs , w - cdma , edge , or the like ) communications protocol / layer , for access to one or more hosted website ( s ) 107 . a handheld device ( not shown ) with a processor and memory may also be used in lieu of the computer 101 . the handheld device may be configured for communication over the network 10 . the network 10 may be connected to one or more servers 103 with access to one or more media storage devices ( e . g ., storage servers , databases , or the like ). the servers 103 may receive requests over the network 10 to store ( via the client - side recording application 102 ), retrieve ( via the access and play application 104 ), and transmit one or more files that may contain usage content ( e . g ., usage content of a user using computer 101 , or the like ). the client - side recording application 102 and access and play application 104 may be implemented as separate applications or as features of a single recording / playback application , without departing from the scope of the present invention ( for ease of reference , the names of the applications may be used interchangeably herein and the use of one of the applications does not imply exclusion of any of the other applications ). alternatively , the computer 101 may store and load files locally in and from storage ( e . g ., hard drive , flash drive , cd - rom / rw , tape drive , solid state memory , or the like ) ( as described for the exemplary embodiment 200 of fig2 ), or via a connection to one or more other computers or servers 103 ( e . g ., remotely ). in some embodiments , the client - side recording application 102 ( or , alternatively , recording / playback application ) may be implemented by a recording / playback application module 409 ( shown in fig4 ) that executes on an operating system 407 ( also shown in fig4 ). the recording / playback application module 409 ( or , a browser module 408 executing an embedded recording / playback application module 404 ) may call one or more modules via an application programming interface ( api ), or may implement the programming code ( e . g ., object - oriented event / exception - based code ) necessary , for recording the usage data of a user of the computer 101 . for example , the client - side recording application 102 may record the usage data of a user of the computer 101 by repeatedly invoking the print screen function , then saving each image , or may record specific websites accessed , alphanumeric characters entered , text / video chat sessions opened , or recognizable events on the computer 101 ( collectively or individually referred to herein as usage , usage data , or usage content ). the client - side recording application 102 may associate each saved image with any combination of a date / time stamp , user - name , website 107 accessed over the network 10 , and / or other criteria . the print screen function may be invoked at a specific time interval ( e . g ., 1 millisecond , second , minute , hour etc .) or the application 102 may have a default setting associated with recording the user &# 39 ; s usage data at a default interval . the images , which may correspond to the graphics shown on the display device of the computer 101 , may be saved to memory ( e . g ., memory 302 , local storage 306 , fig3 ) on the computer 101 and maintained there for some period of time or may be transmitted over the network 10 using , for example , network interface card 304 , to one or more servers 103 with access to one or more storage devices . the transmission of the saved usage data by the application 102 using the network 10 may be performed continuously or at a specific time interval . in some embodiments , the saved usage data is stored locally in memory until a threshold capacity of the memory is reached . the threshold may be the maximum size of the memory , a default value , or may be configured through the client - side recording application 102 . the one or more servers 103 with access to one or more storage devices may receive and record the transmitted usage data , and may associate the transmitted usage data with the client - side recording application 102 , user , and / or computer 101 from which the usage data was received . the application 102 may execute as background process in a multi - threaded environment , for example , without the user of the computer 101 being aware of the application &# 39 ; s execution . for example , the parent ( or any qualified user ) of a child user ( or any user ) may configure the settings of the application 102 such that it starts upon the child ( or any user ) logging in , at a predetermined start time , or based on other criteria such as a next user session , for a given number of user sessions , during all sessions within a date range , or for all sessions all the time . in some embodiments , immediately upon starting , the client - side recording application 102 may start recording user actions along with user interaction with the user interface . in some embodiments , the settings of the application 102 may also be configured to stop its execution upon the child ( or any user ) logging in / out of the computer 101 , at a predetermined stop time , after some time has passed since the application &# 39 ; s start time , or based on other criteria . the settings associated with the application 102 may be stored locally in the computer 101 in an encrypted file or other file that may not be accessed or altered by any user except a qualified user . in some embodiments , the access and play application 104 ( or , alternatively , recording / playback application ) may be implemented by a recording / playback application module 409 ( shown in fig4 ) that executes on an operating system 407 ( also shown in fig4 ). the recording / playback application module 409 ( or , a browser module 408 executing an embedded recording / playback application module 404 ) may call one or more modules via an application programming interface ( api ), or may implement the programming code ( e . g ., object - oriented event / exception - based code ) necessary , for accessing and playing usage data , of a user of the computer 101 , from the one or more servers 103 with access to one or more storage devices . for example , the application 104 may execute on a playback computer 105 ( or handheld / mobile device , not shown ), which may communicate with the one or more servers 103 over the network 10 . the application 104 may send a request to the servers 103 for access to the usage data of the user of the computer 101 . the request may be approved following an authorization procedure such as , for example , a login by way of a username or password or other means known to one of ordinary skill in the art . if the request for access is not approved following the authorization procedure , the playback computer 105 executing the access and application 104 is denied access to the usage data of the user of the computer 101 . if the request is approved , a network connection may be established between the servers 103 and the playback computer 105 for transmitting the usage data from the one or more server 103 to the computer 105 . the access and play application 104 may , upon receipt of the transmitted usage data , play the usage data in a player 106 . the usage data played in the player 106 may be text , picture , slideshow , video , or other media format , with or without audio . although the usage data may be played immediately upon receipt , the player 106 may utilize memory ( e . g ., memory 302 , local storage 306 ) to buffer the usage data as it is received . the size of the buffer available for the player 106 may be configured using the settings of the access and play application 104 . in some embodiments , the usage data received may be saved to memory first , prior to the user of the playback computer 105 invoking the play feature of the player 106 . fig2 is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment 200 in accordance with the present invention where usage data may be recorded client - side and accessed directly without the use of a network . the client - side recording application 202 operates like the client - side recording application 102 except that it may not interface with any servers ( e . g ., servers 103 ) over network 10 . rather , the usage data that is recorded may be saved locally in memory ( e . g ., memory 302 , local storage 306 ), and not in the storage devices accessible by any servers . in addition , the access and play applications 204 , 208 , whether executed on the playback computer 205 or the user computer 201 , operate similar to the access and play application 104 except that they may not request usage data from any servers , or receive any such usage data from any servers . rather , if the qualified user of the access and play application 204 , 208 is authorized ( e . g ., successful login ), the usage data ( e . g ., interactions with hosted website ( s ) 207 ) may be received from the memory of the user &# 39 ; s computer 201 and played in the player 206 ( also available to the access and play application 208 ). 100471 in some embodiments , as shown , the access and play application 208 and the client - side recording application 202 may be implemented as separate applications or as features of a single recording / playback application , without departing from the scope of the present invention . in some embodiments , the playback computer 205 may connect directly with the user &# 39 ; s computer 201 using a wired ( e . g ., usb , serial / parallel port ) or wireless ( e . g ., bluetooth ) connection . the access and play application 204 may request access to the usage data saved in memory on the user &# 39 ; s computers 201 as a client of the access and play application 208 , which may be executing on the user &# 39 ; s computers 201 . fig3 is an illustration of an exemplary system block diagram 300 of a computer or mobile device executing the parent recording / playback application in accordance with the present invention . the exemplary system 300 for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a computer processing unit ( cpu ) 301 , memory 302 , display device ( s ) 303 , a network interface card ( nic ) 304 , auxiliary device ( s )/ component ( s ) 305 , and local storage 306 . these elements may communicate over one or more local buses . the cpu 301 may fetch instructions to execute from memory 302 , where the instructions may be from an operating system 307 and , further , from a browser 308 ( with or without having an embedded recording / playback application ) and / or recording / playback application 309 ( with or without being embedded in a browser ) executing via the operating system 307 . the recording / playback application 309 may receive / fetch files from local storage 306 and / or over a network 10 using the nic 304 for communication with one or more servers 103 . the recording / playback application 309 may also be embedded within a browser 308 and may access files in local storage 306 and / or over a network 10 . the display device ( s ) 303 may be a laptop or computer display , tv screen , or other display ( e . g ., such as that of a handheld device ) capable of receiving display signals . the display signals may comprise , for example , one or more frames per second of video or other content . the content may be opened and played by the recording / playback application 309 . other auxiliary device ( s )/ component ( s ) 305 may also receive or otherwise communicate via the local bus . for example , a portable media player , mobile telephone , or other auxiliary device may act as a source / sink of files . the auxiliary device ( s )/ component ( s ) 305 may also be additional display devices and / or devices capable of supporting the execution of the recording / playback application 309 . fig4 is an illustration of an exemplary application modules diagram 400 of the execution of the modules / engines of a recording / playback application 409 in accordance with the present invention . the exemplary modules 400 for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprise browser modules 401 - 404 and / or recording / playback application 410 - 412 . the browser modules 401 - 404 may comprise a communications module 401 , an interpreter 402 ( e . g ., xml , html or script / mark - up language interpreter ), browser components 403 ( e . g ., navigation functions , add - in ( s )/ on ( s ), custom user options ), and an embedded recording / playback application 404 . the recording / playback application modules 410 - 412 may comprise feature components 410 , a content reader 411 , and a controller 412 . the browser modules 401 - 404 may be used to implement the browser - related features of the exemplary embodiments , while the recording / playback application modules 410 - 412 may be used to implement the recording / playback application - related features of the exemplary embodiments . in some embodiments , the communications module 401 receives and transmits data over a network ( e . g ., network 10 ) through one or more ports ( e . g ., http port 80 ); the interpreter 402 may interpret scripts / mark - up languages and execute them in accordance with their instructions ; the browser components 403 may implement features such as those for navigating the internet , supporting add - in ( s )/ on ( s ), implementing custom user options and executing in accordance with those options ( e . g ., permissions , home page preference , bookmarks , script preferences , history preferences , privacy preferences , web page preferences , and / or other internet / user options ); and , the embedded recording / playback application 404 ( which may , in some embodiments , be an add - in / on ) may record , transmit , and play usage content in accordance with the present invention as described herein . fig5 is an illustration of exemplary method steps 500 for monitoring , transmitting , and recording usage of a computer or mobile device connected to a network . the computer - implemented methods steps are for executing a script locally on the computer or mobile device , the script facilitating a connection to one or more servers accessible by the computer or mobile device over the network 501 ; monitoring the usage of the computer or mobile device as displayed on a display device 502 ; transmitting usage data to a storage device , the storage device residing on the one or more servers accessible by the computer or mobile device over the network 503 ; and recording , by the storage device , the usage data received from the script 504 . fig6 is an illustration of exemplary method steps 600 for playing recorded usage of a computer or mobile device . the computer - implemented methods steps are for connecting , by a playback computer or playback mobile device , to one or more servers accessible by the playback computer or playback mobile device over a network 601 ; requesting access to the recorded usage of the computer or mobile device , as displayed on a display device of the computer or mobile device 602 ; receiving access to usage data stored on a storage device , the storage device residing on the one or more servers accessible by the playback computer or playback mobile device over the network 603 ; and playing , by the playback computer or playback mobile device , the usage data stored on the storage device 604 . fig7 is an illustration of exemplary method steps 700 for playing recorded usage of a computer or mobile device without connecting to a network . the computer - implemented methods steps are for connecting directly , by a playback computer or playback mobile device , to a computer or mobile device 701 ; requesting access to the recorded usage of the computer or mobile device , as displayed on a display device of the computer or mobile device 702 ; receiving access to usage data stored locally on a storage device , the storage device residing on the computer or mobile device 703 ; and playing , by the playback computer or playback mobile device , the usage data stored on the computer or mobile device 704 . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
referring to fig1 a dynamoelectric machine is illustrated , that is an ac generator with a superconducting dc field winding 10 on a rotor 12 . the machine also comprises a stator 14 with a stator winding 16 . rotor 12 on a shaft 18 is located within the stator . the stator 14 and its winding 16 are only partially shown in fig1 . the rotor 12 carries the supercooled field winding 10 enclosed within a structure that includes , for example , a retaining cylinder and a radiant heat shield within a vacuum shell , the details of which are not shown . outside the vacuum shell of the rotor 12 is a warm damper shield 20 with which the present invention is particularly concerned . damper shield 20 comprises over a major portion of its length a central cylinder 21 of highly conductive material such as copper , aluminum , or alloys of copper or aluminum ( zirconium - copper and ofhc copper are more specific examples ), with inner and outer support cylinders 22 and 23 metallurgically bonded to it of a high strength , less conductive material such as one of the superalloys , for example that available commercially under the name inconel 706 . the outer damper 20 has a fixed attachment at at least one end 24 to the rotor but may have a flexible attachment at its other end 25 such as in accordance with u . s . pat . no . 4 , 123 , 676 . fig2 shows more specifically the structural features and nature of the end portions of the damper shield 20 . as seen here the central core cylinder 21 terminates a distance from each end of the damper shield 20 and is there joined with end cylinders 26 and 27 of high strength material , such as inconel 706 , in a manner in accordance with the present invention that includes having mating grooves 28 within the adjacent axial elements 21 , 26 and 27 that can be fit together to provide a unitary cylinder of uniform inner and outer dimensions . to the central cylinder of the core cylinder 21 and end cylinders 26 and 27 there is formed on its surfaces by explosive welding additional cylinders of high strength material . in this example these include two such cylinders on each side , inner support cylinders 22a and 22b and outer support cylinders 23a and 23b , for an overall structure that is substantially free of voids that performs with high strength under the conditions to which the superconducting rotor 12 is subjected and , by the conductivity of the central core 21 , shields the rotor winding 10 from the effects of fields in the air gap and the like . proceeding with a description of the method by which the damper assembly 20 is formed , the separate pieces 21 , 22a , 22b , 23a , 23b , 26 and 27 of the assembly are processed , such as by cold working , including cold roll extrusion , to provide relatively high strength elements . the superalloy ( e . g . inconel 706 ) pieces can be solution annealed and aged to obtain maximum properties after final cold working . after the core cylinder 21 and end cylinders 26 and 27 are initially formed of uniform inner and outer dimensions , mating end regions are subjected to a machining operation to provide the mating grooves 28 therein . as depicted in fig2 the grooves are formed in the inner surface of the ends of core cylinder 21 and in the outer surfaces of the ends of the end cylinders 26 and 27 . it is however to be understood that the grooving operation may be reversed and that each end of the warm damper 20 need not be identically grooved . in the case in which the grooves 28 are separate , substantially parallel and identical grooves , it is then necessary to expand one of the elements , the core cylinder 21 in the example shown in fig2 sufficiently to allow the end cylinders 26 and 27 to be inserted therein and to have them mate at the grooves 28 . thermal expansion and shrinking is not employed for this purpose because of danger of destroying the cold worked properties of the copper piece 21 . mechanical expansion is possible but is an undesirable technique in view of the size of the elements involved . it also may result in a greater need for further reduction by cold working or machining to completely work the unit back into a uniformly dimensioned continuous cylinder . in accordance with a more preferred technique , the grooves 28 at each end of the central cylinder elements 21 , 26 and 27 are essentially screw threads , that is , continuous spiral grooves , that permit the mating elements to be screwably joined or threaded together without heating or mechanical expansion to result in a uniformly continuous cylinder normally without need for subsequent machining . no additional cold working is required for the screwed together elements except that occurring in the subsequent explosive welding operation . in either form of assembly , soldering or brazing can be performed if desired at the mating grooved joint 28 , but it is advantageous that the technique of this invention does not require reliance on soldering or brazing for achieving a good joint , free of voids , and high strength throughout the structure to the extent of the technique of the copending application . if soldering or brazing is done , care must be taken to do it at a temperature below that at which the cold worked properties of the copper 21 would be damaged . after the central cylinder is formed as described , the inner and outer shells 22 and 23 are explosively welded to it and , as shown in the example of fig2 may each comprise more than one individual shell where successive ones are explosively welded to the prior welded ones . explosive welding provides well bonded joints over the major surfaces of the cylinders . the problem with it is that it imposes such forces on the elements that the previously formed joints of the central cylinder are highly stressed . the problems are aggravated by the large dimensions of the element as they are required for a superconducting rotor . for example , for a superconducting rotor of the 300 mva generator , the following table presents the design dimensions : ______________________________________element approx . dimension______________________________________damper shield 20 , overall 153 . 75 in . ( 390 cm . ) lengthend cylinders 26 and 27 , 10 . 0 in . ( 25 . 4 cm . ) length ( including groovedportion ) grooved joint 28 , length 5 . 0 in . ( 12 . 7 cm . ) grooved joint 28 , depth and 3 / 16 in . ( 0 . 5 cm . ) pitchdamper shield , 20 , inner 31 in . ( 79 cm . ) diameter of cylinder 22bdamper shield 20 , outer 37 . 5 in . ( 95 cm . ) diameter of cylinder 23bcore cylinder 21 and end 1 . 0 in . ( 2 . 5 cm . ) cylinders 26 and 27 , thicknessinner and outer cylinders 9 / 16 in . ( 1 . 4 cm . ) 22a , 22b , 23a , 23b , thickness ( each ) ______________________________________ the dimension of the table indicate how large are the areas of the joints involved in the structure of this example and the length of the joints of the central cylinder that are subjected to the large forces of the explosive welding process , i . e ., roughtly about 100 in . ( 250 cm .) in circumference . ensuring close contact with no significant separation over the entirety of such extensive joints is , however , achievable by the practice of this invention despite the large dimensions and the large forces incurred in explosively welding the additional cylinders . generally speaking , the present invention is regarded as particularly advantageous and desirable in constructing warm dampers of at least about 50 cm . in diameter and at least about 200 cm . in length . it is therefore seen that the present invention provides an improved means to hold components of the central cylinder of the dissimilar metals together in such a manner so as to substantially prevent voids from forming as the explosive welding forces are applied over the joints . a warm damper shield results that is effective in the operation of a superconducting rotor even when subjected to perturbations normally encountered in machine operation . | 7 |
examples of a power amplifier according to the invention will be described with reference to fig3 through 6 . fig3 is a circuit diagram showing the arrangement of a first example of a power amplifier of this invention . for simplification in description , in fig3 those components which have been previously described with reference to fig1 are designated by the same reference characters or numerals , and the following description is primarily directed to the components in fig3 which are different from those in fig1 . as is apparent from comparison of fig3 with fig1 the circuit in fig3 is different from that in fig1 in the provision of diodes d 3 and d 4 . the diode d 3 is connected between the positive terminal of the dc source + e 2 and the collector of the transistor q 1 in the class a amplifier , which is connected to the collector of the transistor q 3 in the class b amplifier . the diode d 4 is connected between the negative terminal of the dc source - e 2 and the collector of the transistor q 2 in the class a amplifier , which is connected to the collector of the transistor q 4 in the class b amplifier . the operation of the power amplifier thus arranged will be described with reference to waveform diagrams in fig4 and 5 . the waveform diagram of fig4 is for the case where the power amplifier is operating normally , and the waveform diagram of fig5 is for the case where the load becomes abnormally heavy . in the normal operation , an input is applied to the drive stages a 1 and a 2 , the outputs of which are applied to the transistors q 1 and q 2 in the class a amplifier and the transistors q 3 and q 4 in the class b amplifier , respectively . thus , the transistors q 1 and q 2 and the transistors q 3 and q 4 operate according to the amplitudes of the outputs of the drive stages a 1 and a 2 . in this operation , a current i b as shown in fig4 ( a ) flows in the collector of the transistor q 3 in the class b amplifier , a current i a as shown in fig4 ( b ) flows in the collector of the transistor q 1 in the class a amplifier , and a current i c as shown in fig4 ( c ) flows in the diode d 3 . a voltage waveform at the connecting point a of the collectors of the transistors q 1 and q 3 is as indicated by reference character a in fig4 ( d ). a voltage waveform at the connecting point b of the collectors of the transistors q 2 and q 4 is as indicated by reference character b in fig4 ( d ). a voltage at the connecting point c or at the output terminal out is as indicated by reference character c in fig4 ( d ). as the load is increased and the class a amplifier is caused to operate in a class b amplification mode , the waveforms at the aforementioned various circuit points become as shown in fig5 ( a ) through ( d ), wherein fig5 ( a ) through ( d ) correspond to fig4 ( a ) through ( d ), respectively . when the class a amplifier is caused to operate in class b amplification mode , then no currents are supplied to the class a amplifier from the dc sources + e 2 and - e 2 ; that is , the class a amplifier is effectively disconnected from the dc sources at the diodes d 3 and d 4 . thus , the application of feedback to the class b amplifier is temporarily suspended . therefore , with a large positive signal the transistor q 3 is rendered completely conductive , and with a large negative signal the transistor q 4 is rendered completely conductive . thus , the collector current i b of the transistor q 3 is as shown in fig5 ( a ). on the other hand , with the large positive signal the transistors q 4 and q 2 are rendered non - conductive , and with the large negative signal the transistors q 3 and q 1 are rendered non - conductive . therefore , the currents i b , i a and i c mentioned above become as shown in fig5 ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ), respectively . the voltage at the connecting point c or at the output terminal out is as indicated by reference character c in fig5 ( d ). as is apparent from the above description , even when a problem occurs in the class b amplifier , no over - voltage is applied to the capacitors c 1 and c 2 ( fig2 ) forming the dc sources + e 2 and - e 2 , and accordingly the capacitors c 1 and c 2 will never be damaged . fig6 is a circuit diagram showing a second example of the power amplifier according to the invention . the circuit shown in fig6 can be obtained by connecting a resistor r between the connecting points a and b in the circuit of fig3 . owing to the provision of the resistor r , a current i r flows in the resistor r at all times even when the class a amplifier is caused to operate in a class b amplification mode . therefore , a potential slightly lower than 2e 2 is maintained between the connecting points a and b . in other words , the voltages at the connecting points a and b follow voltage variation at the connecting point c . thus , there is substantially no possibility that when the connecting points a and b are released from the circuit in the example shown in fig2 the transistors q 3 and q 4 will be rendered conductive to thus increasing the collector loss . in summary , the circuit in fig6 is advantageous in that the class a amplifier is protected from the adverse effect of a problem occurring in the class b amplifier , and lowering of the efficiency of the class b amplifier can be prevented . as is clear from the above description , according to the invention , the diodes are inserted between the dc sources of the class a amplifier and the collectors of the transistors in the class b amplifier so that , when the operation of the class a amplifier is shifted into a class b amplifier operation as the load is increased , the supply of current from the class b amplifier to the dc sources of the class a amplifier is prevented . thus , the capacitors forming the dc sources of the class a amplifier can be protected from damage . | 7 |
this invention pertains to injection molding techniques wherein the term &# 34 ; injection molding &# 34 ; is defined as a conventional injection molding process involving the rapid injection of a moldable material into a cavity formed by at least a pair of closed mold members . this invention is also directed at the use of expanded thermoplastics , the term &# 34 ; thermoplastic &# 34 ; is used in its conventional sense , which is a polymeric material that is capable of being repeatedly softened by heat and hardened by cooling and includes as examples materials such as styrene polymers and copolymers , acrylics , cellulosics , polyolefins , vinyls , nylons , various fluorocarbons and mixtures thereof . also included in the term &# 34 ; thermoplastics &# 34 ; are the aforementioned thermoplastics containing minor amounts of ordinary compounding ingredients such as lubricants , stabilizers , antioxidants , fillers , colorants , and small or minor amounts i . e ., less than about 10 % by weight , of specialty materials including thermosetting plastics which are generally defined as materials that will undergo a chemical reaction by action by heat , catalysts , ultraviolet light , etc ., leading to a relatively infusible state , and are exemplified by such materials as amino compounds ( melamines and ureas ), polyesters , alkyds , epoxides , phenolics and elastomers that are generally defined as substances that can be stretched at room temperature to at least twice their original length and , after having been stretched and the stress removed , return with force to approximately their original length in a short time and are exemplified by such materials as natural rubber , acrylic rubber , butadiene - styrene ( sbr ) rubber , chloroprene ( cr ) rubber , chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber , fluorocarbon rubber , isobutylene - isoprene ( iir ) rubber , isoprene ( ir ) and butadiene ( br ) rubbers , nitrile - butadiene ( nbr ) rubber , ethylene - propylene - diene ( epdm ) rubber , polyisobutylene rubber , polysulfide rubber , silicone rubber and urethane rubber . two of the more useful thermoplastics in this particular invention are terpolymers of acrylonitrile , butadiene , and styrene generally known as &# 34 ; abs &# 34 ; resins and polystyrene . the aforementioned thermoplastics are compounded to expand in the injection molding cycle by action of expansion agents which are generally defined as chemicals that generate inert gasses on heating causing the composition in which they are placed to assume a cellular ( or expanded ) structure . typical of these expansion agents are ammonium bicarbonate ; ammonium carbonate ; surface coated urea ; biuret / urea compositions ; p , p &# 39 ;- oxybis -( benzenesulfonyl hydrazide ); 1 , 3 - diphenyl triazene ; azodicarbonamide ; 4 , 4 &# 39 ; diphenyl - disulfonyl azide ; dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine ; n , n &# 39 ;- dimethyl n , n &# 39 ;- dinitrosoterephthalamide ; etc . these materials may be used in amounts ranging from 0 . 1 to 20 parts by weight based on the amount of thermoplastic . there are many articles that may be made from this inventive method including the aforementioned appliance housings , furniture components , as well as other articles such as automobile interior trim , airplane interior components , etc . these articles , made by this novel method , are characterized by a smooth , evenly colored skin over a substantial portion of their surface . by the term &# 34 ; substantial portion &# 34 ; is meant usually greater than about 50 % of the surface area and as much as all of the surface except that which is adjacent the sprue hole or holes . this invention may be practiced with conventional injection mold members which generally comprise blocks of hard materials , usually of metal , that are adapted to come together at highly machined mating surfaces to form at least one fluid tight cavity therein in the shape of the article to be molded . injection molds are generally made of high quality steel or other ferrous metals ; however , this invention may be utilized with other conventional mold materials including , but not limited to , nickel - chrome steel , brass , aluminum , etc . referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are identified with like numerals throughout the seven figures , fig1 shows in cross - sectional view , a pair of typical injection mold members in the open position . these members are generally mounted in a molding machine ( not shown ) and are adapted to move toward and away from each other in controlled alignment . mold member 1 is shown comprised of mold sides 3 that surround a portion of mold cavity 5 formed therein . the terminal portions of mold side 3 form mold mating edges 7 that surround mold opening 9 ; edges 7 are machined to a high precision finish . positioned adjacent but apart from mold member 1 is sprue - containing mold member 11 . mold member 11 is comprised of mold sides 13 that surround a portion of mold cavity 5 formed therein . the terminal portions of mold sides 13 form mating edges 15 that also surround mold opening 9 . mating edges 15 are machined to fit in fluid tight relationship with edges 7 upon closure of mold members 1 and 11 to form mold cavity 5 as shown in fig2 . mold members 1 and 11 are maintained at a temperature below about 100 ° f throughout the molding cycle for reasons explained later . sprue - containing mold member 11 contains at least one sprue 17 that comprises a passageway through member 11 and is adapted to receive the injection nozzle ( not shown ) from an injection molding machine ( not shown ) for receipt of a charge of moldable plastic . mold cavity surface 19 that surrounds mold cavity 5 is usually a polished surface in the outline of the article to be molded therein . positioned in mold sides 3 , and optionally in mold sides 13 , are fluid passageways 21 that connect mold cavity 5 with the outside of the respective mold members and throughwhich fluid is directed to pass according to the invention as later described . positioned about sprue 17 on mold cavity surface 19 is membrane 23 which comprises a thin , smooth - surfaced , non - porous elastic membrane that is anchored to mold member 11 by anchoring means 25 . anchoring means 25 is shown in fig1 - 3 to comprise snap - collar 27 that is complementally received in groove 29 . the function of means 25 is to anchor membrane 23 to cavity surface 19 in a fluid tight condition to aid in containing a later injected charge of moldable plastic . means 25 may be of temporary or of permanent construction depending upon the configuration of membrane 23 and may comprise other , well - known anchoring devices such as bolted - in collars , glued - in marginal edges , a threaded base receiving a threaded terminal ring on the membrane , etc . membrane 23 is denoted as being &# 34 ; thin ;&# 34 ; this term is used herein to indicate a range of thicknesses between about 1 / 2 to 20 mils ; however , it may be made thicker or thinner for specialized purposes . membrane 23 should be smooth surfaced so that it will enter into high fidelity conformity with mold surfaces 19 that form the interior of cavity 5 and to easily release from both cavity surface 19 and the article molded therein . membrane 23 should also be non - porous so that it will contain an injected charge of molten thermoplastic without leakage . finally , membrane 23 should be constructed of an elastic material so that it will repeatedly and easily deform and stretch of fit the confines to mold cavity 5 without rupturing or otherwise failing . examples of materials useful as membrane 23 include thin sheets of cured natural rubber , phenolic cured butyl rubber , and other cured rubbery materials , for example acrylic rubber , styrene butadiene rubber , chloroprene rubber , chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber , fluorocarbon rubber , isobutylene - isoprene rubber , ethylene - propylene - diene terpolymer rubber , isoprene rubber and butadiene rubber , nitrile - butadiene rubber , polyisobutylene rubber , polysulfide rubber , silicon rubber , and urethane rubbers . these rubbers may include minor amounts of other materials , for example , mold release agents , fillers , reinforcing powders , and other compounding ingredients , and synthetic polymeric materials , such as the thermoplastics and thermosetting resins . it should be pointed out that membrane 23 should be treated under processes generally known in the art so as to be non - adherent to both mold cavity surface 19 and to the expanded thermoplastics injected therein , such as by compounding mold release agents into membrane 23 or by applying a coating of mold release agent to both surfaces thereof . fig2 shows mold member 1 and sprue - containing mold member 11 in closed position and after the injection of short - shot 31 of molten expandable thermoplastic through sprue 17 . the injection is accomplished by placing the nozzle portion of the injection mechanism ( not shown ) against sprue 17 and injecting short - shot 31 through sprue 17 and into cavity 5 and membrane 23 so as to form a pocket therein . the term &# 34 ; short - shot &# 34 ; denotes that the quantity of molten material injected into cavity 5 is less than the total volume of cavity 5 ; this is so that the molten material may later expand to form a cellular structure within cavity 5 . the expandable thermoplastic injected into mold cavity 5 is in a molten state i . e ., it is at a temperature sufficient to make it fluid ; for acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene ( abs ) resins this temperature may be around 430 ° f . and for other thermoplastics the temperatures would be polyethylene ( 120 ° f . - 170 ° f . ), polyvinyl chloride ( 300 ° f . - 360 ° f . ), polystyrene ( 520 ° f . ), nylon ( 500 ° f . - 540 ° f . ), acetal resins ( 390 ° f . - 450 ° f . ), etc . in addition the injection is usually conducted in stages , a first stage of high pressure injection ( termed &# 34 ; booster &# 34 ;) and a second stage of lower pressure injection ( termed &# 34 ; injection forward &# 34 ;). booster stages are usually of shorter duration than injection forward stages , e . g . 4 seconds vs . 6 seconds , and the pressure levels of the stages also vary -- booster being higher , e . g ., 1200 psi ., than injection forward , e . g . 1000 - psi . however , the establishment of proper molding conditions for each particular thermoplastic is fully within the ambit of one skilled in the art and should be gained without undue experimentation . during the injection of molten expandable thermoplastic short shot 31 , there should be a simultaneous increase or raising of the pressure within mold cavity 5 , via fluid passageways 21 ( from a pressurization source that is not shown ) so that the cavity pressure increases to a level below that of the injection pressure but above that of the thermoplastic expansion pressure prior to completion of the injection . that is to say , the injection molding machine should be controlled or programmed to cause pressurization of mold cavity 5 , during injection of short - shot 31 , so that the expandable thermoplastic enters mold cavity 5 and forms a pocket 33 in membrane 23 , but does not expand into a cellular structure at this point . the cavity pressure may be most conveniently increased by application of compressed air through passageways 21 into cavity 5 from a pressurization source that is connected through conventional controls with the injection molding machine . other pressurization fluids may be used in particular instances such as steam , nitrogen , water , etc ., however the fluid must be compatible with the material making up membrane 23 i . e ., not react with or deteriorate it . the final level of pressurization in cavity 5 should be below the injection pressure ( generally 1200 - 1400 p . s . i . in the case of abs resins and above the thermoplastic expansion pressure ( generally 70 to 90 p . s . i . in the case of abs resins ), and has been found to produce the best results at between 100 to 180 psi and more preferably about 140 p . s . i . the term &# 34 ; p . s . i .&# 34 ; is used herein to denote &# 34 ; pounds per square inch gauge &# 34 ; pressure . the pressurization of cavity 5 must be controlled so that the buildup occurs either over a substantial portion of the total injection time or such that membrane 23 is not exposed to the final cavity pressure prior to being deformed by at least part of the thermoplastic charge . this is necessary because membrane 23 tends to rupture in the area of sprue 17 when exposed to full cavity pressure without something ( material , mold nozzle , etc .) to abut against it -- similar to a tire blowout condition . short - shot 31 forms pocket 33 in membrane 23 that generally takes the form of a spherical mass . it is extremely important that short - shot 31 forms this interim configuration within mold cavity 5 prior to expanding into full conformity with mold surface 19 . the reason for this is that the rate of heat transfer from short - shot 31 to mold sides 3 is significantly reduced through the combined heat flow resistances of membrane 23 and the compressed air or other fluid in mold cavity 5 . this decreased heat transfer rate permits slower cooling of the surface of short - shot 31 and the development of a very thin film or skin 35 on the exterior of the thermoplastic charge adjacent membrane 23 . this development of a skin occurs at a rapid rate , albeit at a lower rate than that which would occur if short shot 31 were injected immediately into contact with cavity surface 19 . upon achieving the development of the thin skin adjacent the smooth surface of membrane 23 the pressure in mold cavity 5 is released to permit expansion of the molten thermoplastic by action of the expansion agent and concomitant deformation of membrane 23 into full conformance with mold cavity surface 19 as shown in fig3 . upon expansion of the molten thermoplastic into a cellular structure , thin skin 35 , developed adjacent membrane 23 , is slightly stretched and placed into conformance with mold cavity surface 19 ( separated therefrom by membrane 23 ) and forms a smooth , evenly colored skin over the article formed therein . the thickness of skin 35 over the article formed in cavity 5 may vary from 0 . 10 to greater than about 10 mils depending on the thermoplastic and the molding cycle parameters however , it is of the same polymeric composition as that of the cellular structure absent , of course , the cellular structure . the formation of skin 35 is almost completed by the end of the total injection cycle , i . e ., by the time short - shot 31 is fully injected into cavity 5 . thus , the pressure in cavity may be released shortly thereafter ; in the case of abs resins the skin forms rapidly enough to permit release of the cavity pressure immediately after the injection cycle is completed . with other thermoplastics the time may vary one way or the other ; the best time for each particular molding situation may be readily determined by trial and error -- generally speaking if the cavity pressurization occurs too early in the injection cycle the membrane ruptures ; if the pressurization occurs too late the expansion is premature and the surface is of poor quality , if the pressure is released ( and optionally a vacuum applied as described later ) too early the expansion is premature and the surface is of poor quality , and if the pressure is released ( and optionally vacuum used ) too late the skin becomes too thick and cracks during expansion . a separate embodiment of this method is the inclusion of the application of a vacuum to mold cavity 5 after release of the pressure therein , said vacuum being applied via passageways 21 to aid in the expansion of the thermoplastic in short - shot 31 . skin 35 developed adjacent membrane 23 is developed at a slower rate than would occur upon injection against cavity mold surface 19 so that the skin that is developed is smooth and free of defects such as mottling , swirl patterns , flow lines , and pin holes . the cycle time from the initial injection of short shot 31 into cavity 5 , the subsequent release of cavity pressure ( and optional application of vacuum ), and expansion of thermoplastic into full conformance with surfaces 25 occupies a period of time not significantly greater than conventional injection molding cycle times for similar materials without the practice of this invention . it is especially important to maintain mold members 1 and 11 at a temperature approaching room temperature , i . e ., 70 ° f ., but at least below about 100 ° f . to permit rapid chilling and setting of the expanded thermoplastic material upon release of the cavity pressure . by maintaining the mold members at temperatures below 100 ° f . the shin that is formed over the article , is formed rapidly , and the balance of the expanded cellular structure inside the article produced in mold cavity 5 is chilled at a rate that permits demolding within reasonable injection molding cycle times . upon demolding of the article shown in mold cavity 5 of fig3 membrane 23 is required to be removed therefrom . for this purpose , anchoring means 25 may be in the form of a temporary anchor such as a spring clip , etc ., that may be easily removed from groove 29 in mold member 11 , and either membrane 23 peeled from or cut from the article produced therein . another membrane is then inserted in mold cavity 5 . another embodiment of the method of this invention is shown in fig4 - 7 . fig4 shows mold members 1 and 11 in an arrangement similar to fig1 except that mold member 11 has extended sides 3 so as to take up more of the surface of the article produced therein . membrane 23 is placed in cavity opening 9 between open members 1 and 11 . thereafter , the mold members are closed tightly against mating edges 7 and 15 to form fluid tight cavity 5 therein and also to clamp membrane 23 between the mating edges in fluid tight relationship to form a pair of compartments 37 and 39 . thereafter , the air is exhausted from the sprue side compartment 39 to force membrane 23 to deform into conformance with surface 19 of sprue - containing mold member 11 . simultaneously , the opposite side compartment 37 is gradually pressurized to aid in the deformation of membrane 23 . thereafter , ( fig6 ) short shot 31 is injected through sprue 17 against membrane 23 , while cavity 5 is simultaneously gradually pressurized to a level below that of the injection pressure and above that of the thermoplastic expansion pressure , so that non - expanded thermoplastic short shot 31 forms a pocket 33 in the sprue side of the mold cavity ( compartment 35 ) bounded by membrane 23 and mold surface 19 . that portion of short shot 31 in contact with membrane 33 gradually cools and forms thin smooth skin 35 adjacent thereto . thereafter , the pressurization in mold cavity 5 is exhausted through fluid passageways 21 , and optionally a vacuum is applied thereto , to permit expansion of the short shot 31 and deformation of membrane 23 into full conformance with mold surfaces 19 to form an article having a smooth , thin skin over that portion of the cellular structure in contact with membrane 23 . this expansion of shot 31 is shown in fig7 . although the article produced in this embodiment of the invention will have a smooth , unmottled skin , over approximately half of the mold surface , the length of mold sides 3 in either mold members 1 and 11 may be adjusted to obtain a skin over that portion of the articles surface that will be exposed to view and / or wear . an example of an abs thermoplastic usable in the practice of this invention is cycolac jp which is an expandable , injection molding grade acrylonitrilebutadiene - styrene terpolymer resin from marbon chemical company . another preferred material for use in the practice of this invention is a polystyrene such as styron 666 polystyrene resin from dow chemical company that is compounded with 2 % by weight of celogen az blowing agent obtainable from uniroyal corporation . following is an example given to show one skilled in the art an indication of how to practice the method of this invention , and to indicate how a conventional injection molding machine may be set up to conduct this inventive method . a conventional screw - type injection molding machine was set up identical with the embodiment shown in fig4 - 7 and with the conditions shown below in table i . table i______________________________________injection molding conditionstemperature pressure cycle______________________________________ booster - nozzle 430 ° f . 1200 p . s . i . booster - 4 sec . injectionfront zone 450 ° f . forward - injection 1100 p . s . i . forward - 10 sec . center zone 420 ° f . back - mold closed - 50 p . s . i . variablerear zone 390 ° f . mold members 70 ° f . ______________________________________ a quantity of cycolac jp was placed in the feed hopper of the molding machine and the machine started up to commence molding . the pressurization of mold cavity was varied , and the surface smoothness ( in microinches ) of the article molded therein was measured to obtain an indication of the level of pressurization required to obtain a smooth surface skin . for the purposes of this example , from 1600 and more micro - inches is considered a rough surface , 1100 to 1600 microinches is considered an improved surface , and below 1100 microinches is considered a smooth surface . in addition , the air pressure and vacuum applied to the cavity ( and the membrane ) was applied at different times during the process and their effects judged by viewing the article molded in that particular cycle . further , the mold temperature was varied in combination with the air pressure and with the placement and removal of the membrane in the mold cavity to demonstrate the variation in surface smoothness produced by the method of this invention . finally , the effects of these latter conditions ( mold temperature -- membrane placement -- air pressure ) were also determined for a feed of styron 666 polystyrene resin from dow chemical containing 2 % by weight celogen az expansion agent . a sheet of cured natural rubber 10 mils thick and 36 inch × 36 inches in size was placed over the mold opening and used as the membrane . this material was a smooth surface , elastic , non - porous membrane known as code 14 - 125 rubber sheet ( otherwise known as &# 34 ; dental dam &# 34 ;) obtainable from fisher scientific company , 711 forbes avenue , pittsburgh , pennsylvania . the cavity was pressurized at a linear rate from zero to maximum pressure such that the maximum pressure occurred during the last half of the injection cycle . thereafter it was immediately exhausted or released ( maximum delay after full injection was 0 . 5 seconds - 0 . 1 seconds ) to permit expansion of the thermoplastic . all of the results are shown below in tables ii , iii , and iv . table ii - effect of cavity pressure on smoothness of abs molded article table ii______________________________________effect of cavity pressureon smoothness of abs molded articlemaximum cavity article surfacepressure ( psig ) smoothness ( microinches ) ______________________________________0 175010 175075 1500140 900______________________________________ table iii - effect of mold temperature , use of membrane , and cavity pressure on smoothness of expanded abs molded article table iii______________________________________effect of mold temperature , use ofmembrane , and cavity pressure onsmoothness of expanded abs molded article maximumcavity cavity article surfacemold pressure smoothnesstemperature membrane ( psig ) ( microinches ) ______________________________________70 ° f not used 0 180070 ° f used 0 175070 ° f not used 140 incomplete expansion150 ° f not used 0 150070 ° f used 180 900______________________________________ table iv - effect of mold temperature , use of membrane , and cavity pressure on smoothness of expanded polystyrene molded article table iv______________________________________effect of mold temperature , use ofmembrane , and cavity pressure onsmoothness of expanded polystyrenemolded articlemold maximum cavity article surfacecavity pressure smoothnesstemperature membrane ( psig ) ( microinches ) ______________________________________70 ° f not used 0 130070 ° f used 0 125070 ° f used 100 900150 ° f not used 0 1200______________________________________ this example shows that the skin forms on the injected charge of molten thermoplastic adjacent the membrane during the injection cycle , and that the skin is formed sufficiently at the end of the injection cycle so that , almost immediately , the pressurization in the mold cavity may be released and optionally a vacuum applied to permit full expansion of the thermoplastic . the expansion forces the developed skin into conformity with the mold surface . this indicates that although the molding cycle of this invention is not significantly greater than conventional molding cycles , the interposition of the membrane permits a lower rate of cooling and development of the skin on the thermoplastic and that this novel feature permits an article to be molded by this method that has a smooth evenly colored skin over a substantial portion of its surface . | 8 |
fig1 a symbolically illustrates the start of a color file which contains a picture - like motif as a stored data set . the format shown is the simplest format which is used for such a recording . in the case of this example , one byte is used as data storage space for each image point , and it is intended that this format be designated as the whole - tone format . in order to provide sufficient range using such a small memory requirement per pixel , the pattern must satisfy the precondition that the sum of the different color tones , including their intensities , does not exceed the number 255 . in the field of the color finishing ( printing ) of textiles , there are many patterns which correspond to this requirement . this is primarily because , in the case of many color systems which are used , for example , for reasons of color fastness , unsightly mixed colors are dispensed with . since , for reasons of cost , reliance is placed on a small number of stencils , the economically processable patterns are those which consist of only 6 to 16 different colors . the representation of a byte in this image is symbolized by boxes a , into which the value of one byte is entered . this value denotes the number of the color . for some applications , it is necessary to define how the color of a given number is to be composed from components . other definitions are also necessary . if the pattern which is described by this file is to be output , for example , on a monitor screen , it is necessary to know which r , g , b intensities are to be associated with a specific byte value . in addition , it must be known how many image points or pixels or bytes form a pattern row , whether this pattern row is to be displayed horizontally or vertically on the monitor screen , how often , if necessary , the motif thus formed is to be repeated horizontally or vertically , etc . for the purpose of engraving a stencil , on the other hand , it would not be absolutely necessary to know the exact composition of the color . however , it is important to know , for example , how many bytes of the file form an image point row , how often this image point row must be repeated on the circumference of a stencil , etc . in the case of the production methods which are common nowadays , it is often not possible during the production of a pattern on an engraving system to dispense with displaying it on a monitor , therefore , all this information , together with the color information , is most expediently placed in a file header . this header is not shown in fig1 a , but it has a defined format . the program controlling the engraving on an engraver is aware of this format and is therefore capable of extracting from the file header all the information which is necessary for the operation and reading - out of the pattern . the engraver , for example , a laser engraver , must receive switching - on and switching - off signals for the laser during the engraving of a stencil , since , for example , a lacquer layer must be removed from the surface of a rotary screen or must be hardened , which can be carried out in a manner known per se by a laser beam . for the purpose of rapid data transfer , recourse is made here to the smallest logic unit which is capable of transporting a switch - on or switch - off command , and this is just one bit . although it would be conceivable to use a byte (= 8 bits ) or a nibble (= 4 bits ) for a switch - on or switch - off command , for the reason mentioned this is not the aim or is the aim only in very infrequent cases ( long , severely disturbed data lines from the control computer to the engraving machine ) the task is therefore to form from the whole - tone format shown in fig1 a bit sequence - the so - called engraving format - which is suitable and correct for the respective engraving task . this format is shown in fig1 b . in the case of this example , in contrast to fig1 a , a dedicated box b is used for each bit . one byte is then formed by eight successive boxes b and is identified by the sections c . in addition , it is assumed that the engraving format for the stencil is intended to be produced with the number 1 , that is to say for the first stencil of the set or the first color . a bit may only be set , that is to say obtain the value 1 , if the value content of a byte of the whole - tone format ( fig1 a ) corresponds exactly to the number 1 . in the other case , when the value of a byte in the whole - tone format does not correspond to the number ( here 1 ) of the stencil which is about to be engraved , then that bit in the engraving format which corresponds to this byte must be set to the value 0 . in other words , a logic and operation is carried out between the number of the desired color and the color information contained in the byte . according to the invention , this conversion of the byte sequence of fig1 a to the bit sequence of fig1 b takes place in the control computer 16 of the engraving system or on a further computer , which is not identical to the computer of the cad system which is pre - processing the pattern , but which can most certainly be connected to the latter via a data network line or a bus line . the number of the desired color is entered into the control computer 16 or further computer via a keyboard . in addition to the previously discussed pattern reproductions and the files associated with these for the storage of the pattern data , there are cases in which the color reproduction at each individual image point is intended to be carried out by mixing different amounts of color or by means of the output of different intensities of three different color components . this is a common process , for example , in the case of a correspondingly multicolored display of a pattern on a monitor . in the case of textile printing colors , too , such a mixture is sometimes the aim in spite of all the difficulties involved with the formation of mixed colors . a set of stencils which consists of three to six individual stencils is able to reproduce a highly colored pattern using this small number of stencils . since , in spite of its high color , such a pattern reproduction gives rise to only low investment costs , it is cost - effective . the color system of the printing colors must be suitable for such a mixed - color formation . such a pattern then needs very much more color information and , therefore , a greater memory capacity must be available for one image point . therefore , fig2 a shows once more the part of a color file which describes a pattern , but here a monitor image which contains a large number of different color values and intensities is described . on the monitor , the colors , as is known per se , are represented by the three color components r ( ed ), g ( reen ), b ( lue ), the intensity of each of these three color components being able to be set between a minimum color value and a maximum color value . further , it is intended to be assumed that a dataword of length two bytes is available for describing each intensity of the three components , and that the intensities can therefore be described by values between 0 and 65535 . these colors are intended to be transferred to a set of stencils , which consists of 13 stencils and with which , therefore , 13 different colors can be printed . in each case three 2 - byte - long datawords d are combined to form one data set e , which precisely describes the three color components r , g , b in their respective intensity . the format of the data in this color file is intended to be designated as the half - tone format , since , using this type of data recording , it is possible to characterize colors having a very large number of hues and a large number of intensities - so - called halftones . however , it is still not possible to form the engraving format using this information alone . in order to produce the engraving format , it is necessary to define colors , for example in a table , by means for the statement of limiting values for the individual color components . such a table or color palette is shown in fig2 b . this contains , for each of the printing colors listed , an upper and a lower limiting value which must be transgressed if a hue is intended to be assigned to the printing color listed . a data set e of the half - tone format ( fig2 a ) is then replaced by one of the color numbers 1 to 13 of the table if the intensity of each color component of this data set e is located within all the component limiting values of this color . if a data set which describes the color of an image point cannot be assigned to any of the 13 colors , it may then receive , for example , the color number of the image point which could last be assigned . this is of importance in the case of mixed hues in the transition region between two hues . if the color number which is obtained in this manner agrees with the number of the stencil which is about to be engraved or of the stencil for which the engraving format is being produced , then the bit representing the data set is set to 1 , otherwise it is set to 0 . the corresponding bit sequence is shown in fig2 c . here , too , the conversion of the halftone format ( fig2 a ) into the engraving format ( fig2 c ) is executed according to the invention by the control computer 16 of the engraver or by a further computer which is interlinked with the latter . for this purpose , the color palette according to fig2 b is stored in the control computer or further computer and the number ( e . g ., 13 ) of the desired color is also entered . if the operating speed of the control computer 16 or of the computer combination of this and the further computer is sufficient , the comparison of the half - tone format with the color component limiting values of the stencil which is about to be engraved is best carried out during the engraving - that is to say &# 34 ; on the fly &# 34 ;. the comparison of the color intensities with the limiting values can be carried out very rapidly in the case of &# 34 ; on the fly &# 34 ; scanning , since each data set e of the half - tone format only has to be compared with the 3 times 2 limiting values for the color components of the stencil which is about to be engraved . however , in this case , it is not so simple to decide to which color an image point is to be allocated if the component intensities do not fit into the table . this color point is lost or leaves a white point behind on the substrate to be printed . on the other hand , if temporary memory files are produced for the 13 stencils , then the loss of one image point is less probable , since this is replaced by the color (= stencil ) of the last assigned image point . the risk of forming white flecks in the transition zones from one color to the other is therefore lower . shown in fig3 a is a further pattern - describing part of a color file in the half - tone format . it is assumed here that the intensity values correspond to the normal monitor intensities , that is to say they have values which lie between 0 and 255 . furthermore , it is presupposed here that , using this file , a half - tone stencil set which consists of only three stencils is to be produced . this set of stencils must then produce mixed colors during the subsequent printing process . one stencil is then produced for one of the three color components r , g , b . since the color intensity values do not exceed that value which can be represented by one byte , one data set e needs only three bytes of memory capacity here , namely one byte for each of the three color components r , g , b . during the engraving of the red stencil that byte which describes the intensity of the red component for each image point to be produced on the stencil is read out . the same is true for the other color components . fig3 b shows a further part of the information which is important for the processing of the data set of fig3 a . this is the gray tone reference cell of a half - tone grid . such reference cells can be defined in separate files . in the header of the data set of fig3 a , there is then only an indication of the correct reference cell and the correct reference cell file . this gray tone reference cell consists here of 11 times 11 color or individual cells g . these individual cells g contain , for example in a rectangular spiral h running towards the center , monotonically increasing intensity values from 1 to 255 . since , in this example , there are fewer color or individual cells than intensity values , the intensity values increase from cell to cell by a value 2 and , after every ninth cell , by the value 3 . both the representation of the gray tone reference cell and that of the color or individual cell are to be understood symbolically . with its individual cells , the gray tone reference cell serves as a type of comparison original and is stored only temporarily in the control computer 16 or further computer . it is the smallest part of the half tone grid on which the pattern image is desired to be based and which is necessary for assigning the pattern data on a half - tone - like grid . the half - tone grid is rotated with respect to the circumferential direction or the axial direction for several reasons ( e . g ., avoidance of moire , avoidance of seams ) . due to this rotation , the reference cell of the half - tone grid must also be thought of as rotated with respect to the circumferential direction of the stencil to be engraved . the focused , engraving laser beam moves over the stencil on a track of closely adjacent helical lines . therefore , the laser beam has , in relation to the reference cell f , virtually the same inclination which the circumferential direction assumes . a section of such a helical line is designated as i . the control computer of the engraver or a further computer assigned to this section follows , by means of a corresponding calculation , the track of the focused laser beam through the reference cell f and its individual cells g , and also the intensity values which are to be lifted from the half - tone file ( fig3 a ) for the respectively current image point . each time that the laser beam dips into an individual cell g , the intensity value of the cell is compared with the intensity value of the image point to be engraved . if the intensity value from the half - tone file is greater than that of the individual cell g , the laser is then switched on or remains switched on . if , on the other hand , the intensity value from the halftone file is smaller than that of the individual cell g , then the laser is switched off or remains switched off . if the grid assignment is not carried out &# 34 ; on the fly &# 34 ; but beforehand , and if a temporary file in which the bit sequence of the engraving format is stored is formed , then a bit is set to 1 in a quite analogous manner if the laser were to be switched on or were to remain switched on , vice versa . here , too , the gray tone reference cell according to fig3 b is stored in the control computer 16 or further computer . in addition , it is possible to communicate to the computer ( also via manual entry ) information regarding for which color components r , g , b a stencil is to be produced or engraving bit sequence is to be created . fig4 shows a laser engraver 1 known per se . on the latter , a stencil 2 to be engraved is clamped between two supporting cones , the headstock supporting cone 4 and the tailstock supporting cone 7 . the tailstock 6 serves for the rotatable mounting of the tailstock supporting cone 7 and the headstock 3 drives the headstock supporting cone 4 with the aid of a motor , which is not visible . an encoder 5 is used for the generation of pulses which correspond to the respective rotary motion of the supporting cones 4 , 7 . a slide 8 is moved parallel to the axis of the stencil 2 on guides 9 . a threaded spindle 10 is used to drive this slide 8 . a laser 11 , which is mounted on the slide 8 , emits a laser beam 13 which is deflected through 90 degrees by a deflecting mirror 12 and is focused at 16 by a lens system 15 . the surface of the stencil 2 is covered with a light - sensitive lacquer . the lacquer either is hardened by the action of the laser beam or is removed at the exposed points . the tailstock 6 , together with the tailstock supporting cone 7 , can be displaced on guides 14 and , in this way , the tailstock supporting cone 7 can be set to the respective length of the stencil 2 . a control computer 16 is assigned to the laser engraver 1 . this control computer 16 receives the pattern data from the server 21 of the cad system 22 via the data line 23 . the pattern data consist of the numeric or byte sequence , already described many times , for the stencil numbers , which can be combined with half - tone information . from these pattern data , the control computer 16 generates the respective bit sequence . in the case of flat stencils , a bit in this bit sequence receives the value 1 if the corresponding pattern point on the stencil 2 is to be engraved . if the pattern point is not to be engraved , the associated bit is allocated the value 0 . in the case of half - tone stencils , the stencil number and , additionally with the aid of the half - tone conversion table according to fig2 b , the half - tone value are determined from one value of the numeric sequence . the respective bit sequence is fed to the laser 11 via a power converter , not shown in any more detail , the laser being switched on or off in accordance with this bit sequence . by means of this process , the pattern is produced on the stencil 2 . the control computer 16 also determines when the stepping motor 18 must execute the next step . the necessary stepping pulses are transmitted to the stepping motor 18 via the line 20 and a power amplifier , likewise not shown in any more detail . the stepping motor 18 drives the threaded spindle 10 and in this way moves the slide 8 with the laser 11 . the cad system shown here further comprises a keyboard 24 , a digitizer 25 for the entry of graphic data , and the monitor screen 26 . a large - scale memory 27 is used for storing image data , which are transmitted to the large - scale memory 27 or to the server 21 via the bidirectional data line 28 . in the large - scale memory 27 , it is possible to store the color files according to fig1 a , 2a and 3a temporarily , before they are transferred to the control computer 16 for the purpose of creating the respective bit sequences according to fig1 b , 2a and the bit sequence according to the third exemplary embodiment . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 7 |
the present invention provides a method of and means for keeping an encryption engine ( such as those employing the data encryption standard ( des ) or other block encryption algorithm ) pipeline full so that the encryption engine can run at full capacity in cbc mode , or in other encryption modes requiring feedback from a previous computation . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , referring to fig1 , as data blocks from various sources enter the encryption engine , their virtual circuit ( vc ) or security association ( sa ) identifier ( or other standard identifier of “ encryption context ”) is used to index into a bank of keys and initial variables ( ivs ) or the results of the previous encryption for this data stream ( vc or sa ). this information is then passed to the encryption engine along with the data block for processing . a first variant uses multiple ivs , the ivs being used to seed the encryption function for encryption of the first block of plaintext . there is one iv per stage of the encryptor / decryptor to seed the encryption function . referring to fig2 , if there are 18 stages to a particular encryptor , such as that for the sandia national laboratories des asic . ( see d . craig wilcox , lyndon g . pierson , perry j . robertson , edward l . witzke , and karl gass , a des asic suitable for network encryption at 10 gbps and beyond , in cryptographic hardware and embedded systems , vol . 1717 of lecture notes in computer science , held in worcester , mass ., aug . 12 - 13 , 1999 . springer - verlag , berlin , 1999 . ), then 18 ivs are required . if there are 50 stages ( such as for a triple - des implementation using only one initial - final permutation pair ), then 50 ivs would be needed . in order to keep a pipelined encryptor from stalling and having to wait for blocks to be flushed through it , there must be as many ivs as there are pipeline stages . this variant must start with n ivs ( where n is the number of individually clocked stages of the encryption algorithm ) instead of only one iv as in traditional cbc mode encryption / decryption . it also needs n times 64 ( or in general , the length of the iv / ciphertext / plaintext blocks ) bits for storage of ivs ; subsequent ivs are consumed as soon as they are generated . the method of this variant will not interoperate between encryption engine implementations containing differing number of clocked stages . it also will not interoperate with traditional cbc mode as specified in fips pub 81 , supra . in the fips pub 81 specification of cbc mode , each block fed into the encryptor is related to the ciphertext of the previous blocks , with the exception of the first , which is related to the iv . in this variant of the invention , the n ivs are preferably unrelated . because there are n stages seeded by n independent ivs , this results in block 2 n + 1 being related to block n + 1 , which is related to block 1 , and in block 2 n + 2 being related to block n + 2 , which is related to block 2 , and so forth . in other words , rather than each block being related to the previous , every nth block is related . note that in a traditional cbc mode encryptor of one stage ( n = 1 ), each block would be related to the previous block . the second variant of the preferred embodiment also uses multiple ivs , but uses one per encryption context . in this variant , each sa or vc that is being fed through the encryption / decryption engine has its own encryption context . along with key material , this encryption context includes an iv or the previous ciphertext block for that sa or vc , as shown in fig3 . the ciphertext throughput for any one vc or sa in the second variant will still only be ( full rate )/ n , but aggregate throughput will be at full rate if there are at least n active vcs or sas . it is necessary to keep the encryption engine “ fully stoked ” so that it can run at full rate , even if each vc or sa is only getting a fraction of the encryption throughput . this variant is interoperable with the traditional cbc set forth in fips pub 81 , because each block is related to the previous block of its sa or vc . in asynchronous transfer mode ( atm ) communications , one can break up the data stream into n separate vcs ( one for each clocked stage of the encryption engine ), and one would incur n call setup overheads but get full rate encryptor / decryptor throughput . however , note that block n + 1 would be related to block 1 , not to block n , etc . this would not permit the encryption implementation to interoperate with a traditional cbc implementation at the other end of the communication link . if the pipelined encryption engine is viewed as a collection of resources , where each “ resource ” is one stage of the pipeline , with the associated data and key , then these “ resources ” can be allocated to incoming data packets or blocks from various communication sessions . as long as there are significantly more sessions generating communication packets and requesting communication services for them than there are clocked stages of the encryption pipeline , then the engine will run at full rate , without stalling to flush the pipeline . fig4 shows multiple encryption sessions aggregated through one pipelined encryptor ( in this q example , single des , cbc mode ) to individual , conventional ( non - pipelined ) des decryptors operating in cbc mode . this is useful where many users are sharing a computing resource ( or a set of computing resources ) connected to a high - performance communication line that uses a single , key - agile , high - performance encryptor . after the encrypted data travels through the network and goes through switching equipment and rate adaptation , it can arrive at a smaller computing resource ( e . g ., workstation ) at a slower data rate . this would enable the use of slower , simpler ( non - pipelined ), and less expensive decryptors at the workstations . in this way the high - performance cbc mode encryptor at the large computing resource can interoperate with the cheaper decryptors used with the smaller resources . as next shown in fig5 , this kind of encryptor can still pass data from the type of encryptor described in the first variant of the preferred embodiment in addition to data destined for conventional cbc mode encryptors . fig5 shows multiple encryption sessions aggregated through one pipelined encryptor , but one session is separated into numerous sub - sessions , in the manner of the first variant of the preferred embodiment . in this example , a 54 - stage triple - des engine is used in the cipher block chaining , external feedback mode of operation , see ans x 9 . 52 - 1998 , supra , tcbc mode . the encryptor and decryptors do not care whether the blocks are coming from many sessions ( each generating a low volume of data ) or one session ( generating a large volume of data ) separated into sub - sessions for performance reasons . each session &# 39 ; s ( or sub - session &# 39 ; s ) data , key , and iv or previous ciphertext are treated as a “ client ” requiring a resource . the processes ( whether software or hardware ) at the source and destination ends ( outside the scope of the encryptors / decryptors ) determine whether the session data should be divided into / combined from multiple sessions or left as a single session . the encryptors and decryptors merely deal with one key and one iv per session , although in the case of multiple sessions from a data source ( referred to earlier as sub - sessions ), those keys may be identical to each other . this preserves interoperability between aggregate encryptors - scattering decryptors , aggregate encryptors - conventional decryptors , and conventional encryptors - scattering decryptors , as long as the system designers and users keep the number of sessions that a data source generates and a data sink consumes consistent at each end of the communication path . although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to these preferred embodiments , other embodiments can achieve the same results . variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents . the entire disclosures of all references , applications , patents , and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference . | 7 |
the present invention is based on the recognition that pmd in communication systems can be corrected by methods analogous to the spin - echo method of nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ). this recognition itself is founded on some fundamental principles concerning the nature of pmd . as pointed out above , depolarization of a pulse may occur ( 1 ) due to random fluctuations due to interaction with the environment or ( 2 ) due to pmd . the first effect is an error ( in the quantum mechanical language ) since the polarization gets entangled with an environmental degree of freedom to which one has no access . the second effect is not , strictly speaking an error . rather , it is a well - defined unitary evolution , describing the interaction between two degrees of freedom of the photon . since no information is lost to the environment , this effect could , in principle , be corrected by some device , ( placed for example at the output of the fiber ) that implements an interaction between frequency and polarisation so as to compensate the different rotations that took place in the fiber . however , in general such a device is difficult to make . the difficulty of correcting pmd is compounded by two effects . first of all , the coupling of polarization to frequency changes randomly over distances which are typically a few meters to a few tens of meters . thus the overall evolution over long distances ( many kilometers ) results in extremely complicated correlations of polarization and frequency ( especially for short pulses which are composed by many different frequencies ). second , the coupling of frequency and polarization changes over time due to changes in temperature and mechanical stress . ( the time scale for these changes is typically slow compared to the time of propagation of the light through the fiber ). thus any compensating device needs to be extremely complicated and change over time . here we present a method , inspired by the spin - echo methods of nmr , to reduce depolarisation and pulse distortion that result from pmd in communication systems . the basic idea of the method is to introduce along the communication line sequences of controlled polarisation rotations . these polarisation rotations can either occur at discrete locations along the communication line , or act continuously along the communication line , or a combination of both discrete and continuous . the origin of this method is in the pulse sequences ( called spin - echo techniques ) that have been developed in nmr to eliminate the dephasing which arises due to inhomogeneities of the magnetic field [ 11 ]. this inspired viola and lloyd to develop methods , called “ bang - bang ” decoupling , to supress decoherence of a quantum two level system interacting with an environment through the use of a suitable time dependent control hamiltonian [ 14 ]. wu lo and lidar [ 12 ] and wu and lidar [ 13 ] applied this to overcoming noise in optical fibers by implementing bang - bang control in space — along the fiber — rather than in time , but did not address the issue of polarization mode dispersion and pulse spreading . as mentioned above the method we present here to reduce pmd in communication systems is inspired by the spin - echo method of nmr . the fundamental reason why this method devised to deal with atomic nuclei and the magnetic fields surrounding them could be at any relevance at all for photons propagating through optical fibers is that any two quantum systems that are described by hilbert spaces of the same dimension ( in our case spin ½ nuclei and polarization of photons ) can be formally ( i . e . mathematically ) mapped one onto the other ; the same mathematics applies to both . however , to realize that these methods can be applied to pmd in communication systems , and in particular to light propagation through optical fibers requires several conceptual breakthroughs . 1 . at first sight , one would think that the methods for spin cannot — realisticaly — apply to light propagation in optical fibers because when the photon interacts with , say , an impurity in the fiber , the interaction takes place in an extremely short time — while the photon flies by — and during , this time there is no way to make all the polarization rotations required . the key here is to realize that in the fiber there is also the issue of gradual polarisation rotations , and in particular the gradual frequency - polarization interaction . this interaction takes a much longer time . in fact , residual birefringence in today &# 39 ; s fibers is rather small , which means that during propagation through many meters of fiber the unitary evolution due to frequency - polarization interaction is very close to identity , so one can perform the correction rotations . 2 . second , the idea of the spin echo , and of other error correction methods in general , is supposed to apply when the system we are interested in interacts with an environment out of our control — such as an unknown external magnetic field in the generalized spin echo example , or a photon and the optical fiber in the case of [ 12 ] and [ 13 ]. in , all these cases information is lost from the system . on the other hand , in the case of polarization mode dispersion the interaction is not between the photon &# 39 ; s polarization and the environment , but between two of the photons own degrees of freedom — its polarization and its frequency . hence , there is in principle no loss of information — all the information stays in the photon and is available to us . however , because it is difficult to actually determine the parameters entering the polarization - frequency interaction hamiltonian , and also to use this knowledge in an effective way to construct a device that implements the reverse unitary transformation , we suggest to simply ignore this information , that is , treat the ( in principle ) known interaction between polarization and frequency as an interaction between polarization and an unknown environment ! in other words , the frequency degrees of freedom , which are internal degrees of freedom belonging to the photon itself , can be treated as environmental ( i . e . external ) degrees of freedom . one should also note a further element that strongly differentiates interactions between a true environment and polarization from the interactions between frequency and polarization and makes it difficult to imagine that methods devised to deal with true environments can work for the pseudo - environment consisting of the frequency degree of freedom . frequency is a degree of freedom of the photon itself and as such it is carried by the photon wherever the photon goes . information transferred from polarization to frequency follows the photon at all time and is not left at the location where the transfer occurred , or propagate from there independently from the photon as would be the case with a true interaction with an environment . the consequences of this can be seen dramatically in the fact that the error filtration method for correcting depolarization described in [ 15 ] does not work for pmd ( when all the fibers used for multiplexing have identical pmd ). the error filtration method cannot filter out depolarizations due to the well - defined interaction between the polarization and frequency because there is no record left in the different fibers : whenever the photon emerges from the interferometer used in this method , the information is lost about which arm of the interferometer the depolarization error occurred . the method is particularly suited for reducing depolarisation and pulse distortion resulting from pmd in optical fibers . we emphasize however that it can also be used to decrease depolarisation and pulse distortion resulting from pmd in other communication systems , such as electrons propagating in electric wires , holes propagating in semiconductor electrical wires , etc . in particular the method does not rely on the fact that the transmitted particles are bosons or fermions . by reducing depolarization , our method automatically reduces the distortion of pulses due to pmd . this will be the case both in the linear and non linear regime ( as illustrated in [ 10 ]). a basic feature of our method is that , in the case of light signals , our method applies both to quantum signals , such as single photon states , squeezed states etc . as well as to classical signals ( i . e . classical light ). this is due to the fact that we use only linear optical elements . a major issue concerning implementation is that the compensating actions ( polarization rotations ) that we need in order to reduce depolarization and pulse distortion are implemented via interactions that introduce pmd by themselves . this might limit the frequency of the compensating interactions and ultimately the efficiency of the method . we present here a method by which the polarization rotations are implemented by sequences of interactions that “ self - compensate ”, i . e . they are arranged in such a way as to correct the pmd that each one individually introduces . we also suggest a number of methods to implement these polarisation rotations in practice , either during or after manufacture of optical fibers . in the following , we present in section 2 the basic principles of our method , using the language of a spin ½ particle precessing in an unknown magnetic field . to this end we consider a specific example . in section 3 we generalise the results of section 2 . we introduce the notions of exactly compensating sequences and partially compensating sequences , both in the case of discreet , ie . effectively instantaneous , control operations , and in the case of continuous control operations . in section 4 we discuss how to map these results to photons propagating in optical fibers , and address the specific issues which arise in this case . in section 5 we address the fact that in general the control elements used in our method will themselves induce pmd because their effect will depend slightly on the frequency . we show that one can compensate for this effect by devising the sequence of control operations such that the pmd of the control operations cancels in first order . we call such sequences self - correcting sequences . in section 7 we discuss specific ways in which the control elements can be implemented in optical fibers . the theoretical foundation of the method is quite simple , and it is inspired by techniques (“ generalized spin echo ”) used in nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ) [ 11 ]. we will first describe our technique in the nmr language and then we will convert the description to optics . consider a spin ½ particle in a magnetic field . the hamiltonian is h ={ right arrow over ( b )}{ right arrow over ( σ )}= b x σ x + b y σ y + b z σ z . ( 1 ) the time evolution due to the interaction is given by the unitary operator here { right arrow over ( σ )} are the pauli matrices , ie . they are the three 2 × 2 traceless hermitian matrices that obey σ x σ y = iσ z and cyclic permutations . suppose we do not know the value of { right arrow over ( b )}. can we compensate for the evolution — in the spirit of the spin echo — so that after compensation the spin is left in its initial state ? the following procedure accomplishes this . the procedure consists of four basic steps that are then repeated . step 1 . we let the system evolve for a time τ . the time τ is taken short enough such that { right arrow over ( b )}{ right arrow over ( σ )} τ & lt ;& lt ; 1 ( or equivalently τ & lt ;& lt ; 1 b ⇀ ) and the time evolution can be well approximated by the first - order approximation : u ( τ )≈ 1 − i { right arrow over ( b )}{ right arrow over ( σ )} τ = 1 − i τ ( b x σ x + b y σ y + b z σ z ). ( 3 ) step 2 . we interrupt the evolution by flipping the spin around the x axis . we then leave it evolve for a new period τ and finally we flip again the spin around the x axis . the actions in step two are described by σ x u ( τ ) σ x where σ x describes the flip around the x axis . since σ x u ( τ ) σ x ≈ σ x ( 1 − i { right arrow over ( b )} σ { right arrow over ( τ )} ) τ x = 1 − i τ ( b x σ x − b y σ y − b z σ z ) ( 7 ) which effectively compensates the evolution due to the b y and b z components . the evolution due to the b x component is not yet compensated ; this will be accomplished during the next two steps . step 3 . the same as step 2 , but the spin is flipped around the y axis . step 3 is thus described by σ y u ( τ ) σ y . given that σ y u ( τ ) σ y ≈ σ y ( 1 − i { right arrow over ( b )}{ right arrow over ( σ )} τ ) σ y = 1 − i τ (− b x σ x + b y σ y − b z σ z ) ( 11 ) step 4 . the same as step 2 , but the spin is flipped around the z axis . step 3 is thus described by σ z u ( τ ) σ z . given that σ z u ( τ ) σ z ≈ σ z ( 1 − i { right arrow over ( b )}{ right arrow over ( σ )} τ ) σ z = 1 − i τ (− b x σ x − b y σ y + b z σ z ) ( 15 ) u ≈ 1 i τ ( b x σ x + b y σ y + b z σ z + b x σ x − b y σ y − b z σ z +− b x σ x + b y σ y − b z σ z − b x σ x − b y σ y + b z σ z ) = 1 + o (| b | 2 τ 2 ) ( 17 ) where | b | 2 = b x 2 + b y 2 + b z 2 . this shows that the evolution is effectively stopped ( i . e . the overall time evolution , after the entire time period of 4τ is approximately the identity ). the procedure is then repeated again and again . what happens if we change τ , and for instance make it shorter ? to compare different values of τ , we need to compare the evolution , not over a time τ ( which is variable ), but over a fixed time t . for simplicity we take t to be an integer multiple of τ . then the evolution after time t is obtained by taking the product of eq . ( 17 ) t / τ times . one obtains u ( t )=( 1 + o (| b | 2 τ 2 )) t / τ = 1 + o (| b | 2 t τ ). ( 18 ) thus the effect of the control sequence is better and better if τ is taken smaller and smaller . the method relies on the fact that the interaction , although unknown to us , is constant in time ( at least for the short times τ we are considering here ). the unknown hamiltonian that is responsible for the rotation of the spin in the first place is there all the time and affects the spin after the x , y and z rotations , and brings it back to the initial state . in the above subsection we considered the unknown hamiltonian to be time independent . it is essential for applications that our method works even if the hamiltonian is time dependent , if the compensating rotations are performed after a time τ short enough so that the hamiltonian doesn &# 39 ; t change substantially during this time . indeed , suppose that { right arrow over ( b )} is a function of time , { right arrow over ( b )}( t ) in this case equation ( 3 ) will contain a second - order term i ∂ t { right arrow over ( b )}( 0 ){ right arrow over ( σ )} τ 2 that comes from the taylor expansion { right arrow over ( b )} ( t )= { right arrow over ( b )} ( 0 )+ t ∂ t { right arrow over ( b )} ( 0 )+ o ( t 2 ). ( 19 ) in order for this term to be negligible compared to the first order term the following condition must be obeyed ∂ t { right arrow over ( b )}{ right arrow over ( σ )} τ 2 & lt ; { right arrow over ( b )}{ right arrow over ( σ )} τ ( 20 ) that is the method will work well for time dependent magnetic fields if τ is smaller than the rate of change of the magnetic field . the method works equally well when b x , b y and b z are not real numbers as above , but quantum ( possibly non - commuting ) operators — the same mathematics applies . hence , in the first order of perturbation , the above method works for the most general spin ½ hamiltonian . h ={ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} ( t ) { right arrow over ( σ )}= b { circumflex over ( b )} x ( t ) σ x +{ circumflex over ( b )} y ( t ) σ y +{ circumflex over ( b )} z ( t ) σ z , ( 22 ) where { circumflex over ( b )} x ( t ), { circumflex over ( b )} y ( t ) and { circumflex over ( b )} z ( t ) are arbitrary operators . this means that in the first order of perturbation we can exactly compensate for the effect of the interaction of the spin with any other quantum system . the time scales for the validity of the first order perturbation are obtained by generalizing the discussion in the above subsections . there are two conditions on τ for the first order approximation to be valid : 1 ) first of all τ should be such that in the absence of the compensating sequence — the unknown operator valued magnetic field cannot significantly modify the state of a spin in time τ . in other words the unknown operator valued magnetic field modifies the state of spins , for instance by rotating them , depolarising them , etc . . . . this modification of the state of spins is not instantaneous , but takes a characteristic time . τ should be less than this characteristic time . mathematically we can express this as τ & lt ; 1 b ^ ⇀ ( 23 ) where by ∥{ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )}∥ we mean a suitable operator norm , such as ∥{ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )}∥=√ { square root over ( tr [{ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )})} † ·{ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} ρ ] )}=√{ square root over ( tr [( { circumflex over ( b )} x † { circumflex over ( b )} x +{ circumflex over ( b )} y † { circumflex over ( b )} y +{ circumflex over ( b )} z † { circumflex over ( b )} z ) ρ ])} ( 23b ) where ρ represents the state all the degrees of freedom that enter in { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )}. 2 ) τ should be such that the unknown operator valued magnetic field does not change significantly in time τ . mathematically this can be expressed as τ & lt ; b ^ ⇀ ∂ t b ^ ⇀ , ( 24 ) where ∥.∥ is a suitable operator norm , for instance the same as in eq . ( 23b ). for the rest of this paper equations ( 23 ), ( 24 ) and their fiber equivalents described later , define the validity of “ first order perturbation ”. of course , here we consider that the exact value of { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} is unknown — indeed , the main issue under investigation here is compensating for an unknown magnetic field . however , for determining the time scale ( i . e . for determining the time scale of the “ first order regime ”) we don &# 39 ; t need to know the exact values of the field but it is enough to have estimates on its magnitude and rate of change . these estimates can be determined experimentally by studying the time evolution of spins in the magnetic field . note that we expect that even when eqs . ( 23 ) and ( 24 ) are not obeyed , the effects of { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} will be reduced , even thought the effect may be small . on the other hand it can be shown that when eqs . ( 23 ) and ( 24 ) are obeyed , the smaller τ , the more the effects of the unknown magnetic field { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} are reduced , see discussion around eq . ( 18 ). thus one should always try to take τ as small as possible . the sequence of operations described in section 2 is not unique . there are many different sequences of spin flips that succeed to the first order of approximation to exactly compensate for the effects of a constant unknown magnetic field . we call such a sequence an “ exactly compensating sequence ” ( ecs ). a simpler form of the sequence ( 16 ) is possible . indeed , since a general sequence consists of k equal time evolutions , each followed by a rotation : u = r k u ( τ ) r k − 1 u ( τ ) . . . r 2 u ( τ ) r 1 u ( τ ) ( 28 ) where r i represents a particular spin rotation . to see that this is the most general form , note that even if after each time interval there are more rotations performed one after the other , we can describe their total effect by a single total rotation ( such as in the example of the sequences ( 16 ) and ( 27 )). note also that by considering only equal time evolutions between the rotations we do not limit the scope of the method . indeed , a longer period of uninterrupted evolution can be considered as two periods of evolution interrupted by a trivial rotation ( i . e . r = i ); since some of the rotations r i in ( 28 ) could be taken to be equal to the identity , our method is completely general . { tilde over ( r )} i = r i r i − 1 . . . r 1 ( 30 ) u ={ tilde over ( r )} k { tilde over ( r )} k − 1 † u ( τ ) { tilde over ( r )} k − 1 { tilde over ( r )} k − 2 † u ( τ ) . . . { tilde over ( r )} 2 { tilde over ( r )} 1 † u ( τ ) { tilde over ( r )} 1 { tilde over ( r )} 0 † u ( τ ) { tilde over ( r )} 0 ( 31 ) in order to be an ecs the sequence of rotations must obey the condition ∑ j = 0 k - 1 r ~ j † σ ⇀ r ~ j = 0 , ( 33 ) which is in fact a set of 3 conditions , one for each component of { right arrow over ( σ )}. note that { tilde over ( r )} k represents a known overall rotation of the spin at the end of the sequence . some sequences are particularly simple , in the sense that { tilde over ( r )} k = i , i . e ., the spin doesn &# 39 ; t undergo any overall known rotation ( such as the sequence discussed in subsection 2 . 1 ), but this is not a necessary condition for compensating the evolution to the unknown magnetic field in ( 22 ). the condition ( 33 ) has a geometric interpretation . for each value of j , the three quantities , { tilde over ( r )} j † σ x { tilde over ( r )} j , { tilde over ( r )} j † σ y { tilde over ( r )} j , { tilde over ( r )} j † σ z { tilde over ( r )} j , can be represented as 3 orthogonal vectors on the bloch sphere . these 3 vectors realise thus an orthonormal frame which is obtained from the frame when j = 0 by the rotation r j . this implies that all the frames have the same chirality . to find an ecs we thus need to find a set of orthonormal frames of identical chirality such that the sums of the first , second and third vectors of the frames are all zero . from the rotation which , maps the frames one onto the other , one immediately finds the { tilde over ( r )} j and then the r j . as we mentioned above , the most general sequence can be described by ( 28 ). however , each of the operators r j can be implemented in many different ways . an example is in the sequences ( 16 ) and ( 27 ) above , where a flip such as σ x could be implemented directly or by a flip around y followed immediately by a flip around z . practical considerations will determine which particular implementation is better in each case . we note that the conditions the sequence must obey are independent of the magnetic field { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )}. the only thing that { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} affects in the first order of perturbation are the conditions for the validity of the first order , that is the conditions on the total duration kτ of the sequence . this is true for all the sequences discussed in this paper . in the previous section we discussed ecs , sequences that exactly compensate in the first order the effect of an unknown hamiltonian . however in some embodiments it may not be necessary or practical to implement an ecs sequence . one reason is that there are always imprecisions in practically realizing a desired rotation , so some attempts to construct an ecs may not be perfectly successful . another case is when we do not actually try to build an ecs because of limitations in what rotations we can practically realize . however even in such cases partial compensation can be obtained . consider again eq ( 32 ) that describes the evolution under a general sequence of rotations . in order for the sequence to be exactly compensating it needs to fulfil the condition ( 33 ). on the other hand , had we done nothing , i . e . if all the rotations r j = i the first order disturbance of the spin would have been ∑ j = 0 k - 1 r ~ j † σ i r ~ j = λ i σ ξ i ( 35 ) where σ ξ i is the pauli matrix describing the spin in some direction ξ i and the coefficients λ i are real and positive . the maximal value of each coefficient λ i is k , and it is obtained in the case when no compensation is attempted . if at least one of the coefficients λ i is smaller than k , then the sequence achieves partial compensation . we call such a sequence a “ partially compensating sequence ” ( pcs ). as an example of a pcs , we consider the simple spin echo . the sequence is given by r 1 = σ x and r 2 = σ x . the corresponding { tilde over ( r )} j are { tilde over ( r )} 0 = i , { tilde over ( r )} 1 = σ x and { tilde over ( r )} 2 = i . by inserting these values in ( 35 ) we find that from ( 36 ), ( 37 ) and ( 38 ) we see this is a pcs . this simple method works particularly well if the hamiltonian is known not to contain any σ x interaction , i . e . when the hamiltonian is of the form h ={ circumflex over ( b )} y ( t ) σ y + { circumflex over ( b )} z ( t ) σ z , ( 39 ) furthermore , in this simple situation , if it is also the case that the hamiltonian is independent of t then we are not bound by first order perturbation , but can apply compensating rotations after any length of time . note that in an optical implementation , if the compensating rotations ( polarization flips in this case ) are realised alternatively by rotating the polarisation by π in one direction and then in the other , i . e . if they are implemented by exp [+ iπσ x ph ] and then by exp [− iπσ x ph ], then any pmd induced by the control element σ x ph automatically cancels , see the discussion in section 5 . 1 . note also that the above simplifications apply whenever the hamiltonian has a simple form in any particular basis , i . e . h ={ circumflex over ( b )} 1 ( t ) σ 1 +{ circumflex over ( b )} 2 ( t ) σ 2 ( 40 ) where 1 and 2 denote some orthogonal directions of the spin . in this case , one needs to perform flips around the third axis , i . e . r 1 = r 2 = σ 3 . an interesting case is that of a completely random sequence , that is , one in which the rotations r i ( and therefore also the rotations { tilde over ( r )} i ) are chosen at random . in this case , ∑ j = 0 k - 1 r ~ j † σ i r ~ j is a sum of k randomly rotated spin matrices . the result is a spin matrix oriented in some random direction ξ i and having magnitude of the order of √{ square root over ( k )}, i . e . hence a random sequence of rotations is ( with very high probability ) a pcs . in the above section we considered spin rotations that are effectively instantaneous , i . e . that they take place on a time scale much shorter than the time τ between the rotations . this allowed us to neglect the evolution due to the unknown interaction { right arrow over ( b )} during this time . on the other hand , one can also consider continuous compensating rotations . the conditions for a continuous ecs turn out to be rather similar to those of the instantaneous ecs discussed above . where h d represents the “ dispersive ” hamiltonian h d ={ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )}{ right arrow over ( σ )} that has to be corrected and h c ( t ) is the “ control ” ( time dependent ) hamiltonian that describes the correction that we apply . ( we neglect here the possible time dependence of h d . the discussion of subsection 2 . 2 applies to the present subsection , as well as to all the rest of this work ). consider now the evolution decomposed into a large number n of short time steps of duration τ , with nτ = t fixed . at the end of the calculation we will take τ → 0 . u =( 1 − ih c ( n τ ) τ )( 1 − ih d τ )( 1 − ih c (( n − 1 ) τ ) τ ) . . . u c ( k τ )=( 1 − ih c ( k τ ) τ )( 1 − ih c (( k − 1 ) τ ) τ ) . . . ( 1 − ih c ( τ ) τ )( 1 − ih c ( 0 ) τ ). ( 44 ) the u c defined above in ( 44 ) is , of course , nothing else than the time evolution under the control hamiltonian alone . noting that in first order u c ( k τ ) u c † (( k − 1 ) τ )=( 1 − ih c ( k τ ) τ ) ( 45 ) u = u c ( n τ ) u c (( n − 1 ) τ ) † ( 1 − ih d τ ) u c (( n − 1 ) τ ) u c (( n − 2 ) τ ) † . . . u c ( τ ) u c ( 0 ) † ( 1 − ih d τ ) u c ( 0 ) ( 46 ) furthermore , denoting { tilde over ( h )} d ( kτ )= u c † ( kτ ) h d u c ( kτ ) we can write ( 46 ) as u ( n τ ) = u c ( n τ ) ( 1 - ⅈ h ~ d ( ( n - 1 ) τ ) τ ) ( 1 - ⅈ h ~ d ( ( n - 2 ) τ ) τ ) … … ( 1 - ⅈ h ~ d ( τ ) τ ) ( 1 - ⅈ h ~ d ( 0 ) τ ) ≈ u c ( t ) ( 1 - ⅈ ∫ 0 t h d ( t ′ ) ~ ⅆ t ′ ) = u c ( t ) ( 1 - ⅈ ∫ 0 t u c † ( t ′ ) h d u c ( t ′ ) ⅆ t ′ ) ( 47 ) where t = nτis fixed , and we have taken the limit τ → 0 , n →∞. since the dispersive hamiltonian h d is constant in time , we have thus , a time independent dispersive interaction can be corrected by a continuous control if ∫ 0 t u c † ( t ′ ) σ i u c ( t ′ ) ⅆ t ′ = 0 , ( 49 ) note that , similarly to the sequences of instantaneous rotations eq . ( 32 ) the continuous compensating sequences can also result in a known rotation of the spin given by u c ( t )= u c ( nτ ). the spin is left unchanged when u c ( t )= u c ( nτ )= i . as an example of continuous ecs , consider the following time dependent control hamiltonian h c ( t ) = + c σ x for 0 ≤ t & lt ; π 2 c = + c σ z for π 2 c ≤ t & lt ; 2 π 2 c = - c σ x for 2 π 2 c ≤ t & lt ; 3 π 2 c = - c σ z for 3 π 2 c ≤ t & lt ; 4 π 2 c = - c σ x for 4 π 2 c ≤ t & lt ; 5 π 2 c = - c σ z for 5 π 2 c ≤ t & lt ; 6 π 2 c = + c σ x for 6 π 2 c ≤ t & lt ; 7 π 2 c = + c σ z for 7 π 2 c ≤ t & lt ; 8 π 2 c ( 50 ) where c & gt ; 0 determines the time t = 4π / c after which the compensating sequence is finished . one can calculate that this sequence obeys the conditions eq . ( 49 ) for a continuous ecs . ( one also checks that it obeys the condition eq . ( 84 ) for first order compensation of the pmd of the control hamiltonian itself , see section 5 . 1 ). similar to the case of sequences of instantaneous rotations , we can also have continuous partial compensating sequences . the effect of the dispersion generated by b x σ x and b y σ y vanishes if while the effect of b z σ z is not compensated by this control . 3 . 7 . compensating sequences in the presence of a large known magnetic field a case which may be important in practice is when the hamiltonian contains both a known magnetic field b k and an unknown magnetic field b u . of course we can still use the compensating sequences described above to compensate both b k and b u . but this is problematic if the known magnetic field is much larger than the unknown one , since in order for the compensating sequences to work well one needs that the effects of both b k and b u be first order . thus the compensating sequence will need to be applied very often . the way round this is to incorporate b k into the compensating sequence . thus in the presence of a control hamiltonian , the total hamiltonian is h ={ right arrow over ( b )} u ·{ right arrow over ( σ )}+{ right arrow over ( b )} k ·{ right arrow over ( σ )}+ h c ( t ) ( 58 ) h ={ right arrow over ( b )} u ·{ right arrow over ( σ )}+ h ′ c ( t ) ( 59 ) with h ′ x ( t )={ right arrow over ( b )} k ·{ right arrow over ( σ )}+ h c ( t ) the effective control hamiltonian . we now need to impose that h ′ c compensates for the unknown magnetic field h u . as an illustration of this method , suppose that { right arrow over ( b )} k points in the z direction so that { right arrow over ( b )} k ·{ right arrow over ( σ )}= b k σ z . the following is an ecs : 1 . set h c to zero from time t = 0 to t = nπ / b k . at time nπ / b k the spin has precessed by exactly 2nπ . 2 . at time t = nπ / b k carry out an instantaneous σ x spin flip . 3 . set h c to zero from time t = nπ / b k to t = 2nπ / b k . 4 . at time t = 2nπ / b k carry out an instantaneous σ x spin flip . the integer n , and thus the time 2nπ / b k to carry out the sequence can be freely chosen . it may be that the magnetic field fluctuates along different axes with different time scales . for instance the component of { right arrow over ( b )} along the x and y axes may change rapidly , whereas the component along the z axis changes slowly . the cs can be adapted to these different time scales . for instance one can carry out the simple spin echo of subsection 3 . 3 at a rate corresponding to the fast time scale to compensate the components along x and y . there remains the component along z which can be compensated by much less frequent insertions of σ x operations . as noted in section 1 any two quantum systems that are described by hilbert spaces of the same dimension ( in our case spin ½ nuclei and polarization of photons ) can be formally ( i . e . mathematically ) mapped one onto the other . ( for further convenience we call the hilbert space of polarization and that of spin the “ polarization space ”.) one possible mapping is the following : let | h & gt ; denote horizontal polarization and | v & gt ; vertical polarization . the photon equivalent of ↑ z ( i . e . spin polarized “ up ” along the z axis ) is | h & gt ; and the equivalent of ↓ z ( spin polarized “ down ” along the z axis ) is | v & gt ;. furthermore , the equivalent of the spin operator σ z is a photon polarization operator σ z ph defined by note that the eigenstates of σ y ph are left and right circular polarized states : in other words , the y axis in the polarization space is the axis defined by the fact that rotations around it preserve the circular polarized light . the “ horizontal ” and “ vertical ” directions are defined , according to usual optical convention as two orthogonal directions conventionally chosen ; they need not be the actual horizontal and vertical . the “ horizontal ” and “ vertical ” axis need to be defined not only at a single point but at all points along the fiber . there are many ( infinite ) ways to do this , and it is again a matter of convention how we do it . however , the precise form of the hamiltonian depends on the convention used to define the axis . h ={ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} ( l ){ right arrow over ( σ )} ph = { circumflex over ( b )} x ( l ) σ x ph +{ circumflex over ( b )} y ( l ) σ y ph + { circumflex over ( b )} z ( l ) σ z ph , ( 68 ) the operator { circumflex over ( b )}( l ) contains all the information about all the other variables that affect the polarization , and through it one can also determine the effect that polarization has on the other degrees of freedom of the photon . we make this more explicit in the next subsection , where we use the standard optical formalism . as we noted above , the precise form of the hamiltonian depends on the convention used to define the linear polarization axis along the fiber . indeed , even in a perfect fiber where polarization stays constant , polarization would appear to rotate if our definition of the axis rotates along the fiber . changing from one convention to another has the effect of introducing a supplementary known ( position dependent but frequency independent ) field { right arrow over ( b )} 0 ( l ) in the hamiltonian . a convenient convention is to define the linear polarization axis along the fiber in such a way that any known frequency independent field { right arrow over ( b )} 0 ( l ) is eliminated . we adopt this convention here . we also note that optical fibers have losses , i . e . photons can be absorbed . this can simply be modeled by considering { circumflex over ( b )} to be non - hermitian . furthermore note that in general a fiber contains both polarization independent and ( a generally smaller ) amount of polarization dependent absorption . the polarization independent absorption is not of interest for us here : since it commutes with all the operations that compose our compensating sequences it does not modify our method and its length scale at all . hence we can simply ignore , the polarization independent absorption and include only the polarization dependent one . as we mentioned in the preceeding subsection , the operator { circumflex over ( b )} 0 ( l ) contains all the information about all the degrees of freedom that affect the polarization . here we illustrate this by analyzing the ( very common ) case of a fiber with negligible non - linearity . we emphasize however that , similar to the case of nmr , the compensating sequences are totally independent on the specific form of { circumflex over ( b )} 0 ( l ); only the length scale for the validity of the first order approximation depends on { circumflex over ( b )} 0 ( l ))— but in any case this quantity has to be determined experimentally . therefore our method applies to any type of fiber , including fibers with high non - linearities . in this subsection , to make connection with the usual fiber optics language , we derive our equations using classical physics , following [ 16 ]; the same equations then define the heisenberg evolution of the quantum observables . consider a light pulse propagating along an fiber . the pulse is centered on frequency ω and has wave number k ; the distance along the fiber is denoted l . its amplitude can be written as where a is the slowly varying envelope of the pulse . we introduce the variable t ′= t − l / v g where v g is the group velocity of the pulse . if we neglect all polarisation effects a obeys an equation of the form where β 2 describes the dispersion . one can also include in this equation other effects describing for instance non linearities ( giving rise to the non linear schrödinger equation ), higher order dispersion , etc . . . . here we are interested in analyzing birefringence . we must then view a as a two component vector . each component describes the amplitude of the pulse along one of two orthogonal polarisation components . we then obtain an equation of the form i ∂ l a = b 0 a + i ∂ t ′ b 1 a ( 71 ) where we have neglected terms with higher order derivatives in t ′ ( they could easily be included , but the main effects can be seen from the above equation ). here b 0 and b 1 are matrices , which we take to be traceless . ( the part of b 0 and b 1 proportional to the identity can be incorporated into the wave vector k and the average group velocity v g ). where a ( ω ) is the fourier transform of a ( t ) at frequency ω . since b 0 and b 1 are traceless 2 × 2 matrices , we can write them as b 0 ={ right arrow over ( b )} 0 ·{ right arrow over ( σ )} ph and b 1 ={ right arrow over ( b )} 1 ·{ right arrow over ( σ )} ph . this equation has exactly the same form as the equation of evolution of spin in an unknown , operator valued , magnetic field , with { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )}={ right arrow over ( b )} 0 + ω { right arrow over ( b )} 1 and the evolution parameter being the position along the fiber rather than time . note that the magnetic field is operator valued since { right arrow over ( b )} 1 is multiplied by the frequency ω . the birefringence thus induces both different phase velocities ( through b 0 ) and different group velocities ( through b 1 ). in most fibers the phase velocity difference and the group velocity difference are of the same order of magnitude . this implies that the order of magnitude of b 1 is b 1 ▭ b 0 / ω . in general the matrix b 1 need not be proportional to b 0 . but in most cases we expect them to be almost proportional one to the other , since they originate from the same physical effect ( for instance bending or twisting of the fiber ). this will be used in subsection 5 . equations ( 71 ) and ( 72 ) describe the evolution of the envelope of a classical pulse . upon quantizing the electro - magnetic field , one will find that the heisenberg equations for the field operator â ( t ) and its fourier transform â ( ω ) are identical to eqs . ( 71 ) and ( 72 ). the “ generalized spin echo ” methods apply formally to the photon exactly as to a nuclear spin , under the mapping described above . as discussed above the most general interaction hamiltonian affecting the polarization is h ={ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} ( l ){ right arrow over ( σ )} ph = { circumflex over ( b )} x ( l ) σ x ph + { circumflex over ( b )} y ( l ) σ y ph +{ circumflex over ( b )} z ( l ) σ z ph , ( 73 ) the formal equivalent of ( 22 ). here the equivalent of the time t in ( 22 ) is l , the location of the photon along the optical fiber . in order to implement the formal equivalent of the sequences of rotations in polarization space described in section 2 , i . e . in order to interrupt the evolution and make polarization rotations all we need to do is to insert from place to place in the fiber appropriate achromatic polarization rotation devices . as examples see fig1 which corresponds to the method of eq . ( 16 ) and fig2 which corresponds to the method of eq . ( 27 ). these figures represent an optical fiber ( 1 . 10 ) interrupted by polarization flip devices ( 1 . 2 , 1 . 3 , 1 . 4 ) which can be built into the fiber or independent of it . the number 1 . 2 corresponds to a σ z flip , 1 . 3 corresponds to a σ y flip , 1 . 4 corresponds to a σ x flip . the number 1 . 1 , associated to the empty box , corresponds to the identity l , ie . to no polarisation rotation taking place . a compensating sequence is denoted 1 . 20 ; in the case of fig1 it contains 2σ z flips , 2σ y flips , 2σ x flips , 2 identities l ; in the case of fig2 it contains 2σ z flips and 2σ x flips . one way to realise the polarisation flips is to cut the fiber in pieces and insert between two subsequent pieces the appropriate polarization rotation device . in alternative more preferred embodiments , the fiber is fabricated with polarization flip regions included at regular intervals . the polarization flip regions may be implemented , for example , by appropriately changing the chemical content , or the mechanical properties of the fiber material ( see discussion in section 7 ). in order to implement the equivalent of continuous spin rotations ( subsections 3 . 5 , 3 . 6 ) we need to act on the fiber continuously along its length . we now reach a crucial point of our discussion . until now we discussed the effects of our methods on polarisation . we emphasize here that when we reduce depolarisation we automatically reduce pmd , hence the spread of pulses due to pmd is also reduced . the reason that our method reduces both depolarisation and polarization mode dispersion is that it effectively averages the interaction hamiltonian to zero , also note that , since the effect of any unknown { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )}( l ) can be compensated , the above described compensation procedures work in any type of fiber , including fibers with high nonlinearities . the length of fiber after which the polarization rotation devices must be placed is formally equivalent to the time interval after which the rotations on the spin should be implemented . in particular the analogues of conditions 23 and 24 for validity of first order perturbation become : 1 ) the length l seq of the compensating sequence should be such that — in the absence of the compensating sequence — the unknown operator valued polarisation interaction { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} ( see eq . ( 73 )) cannot significantly modify the state of polarisation of light over distance l seq in other words the unknown operator valued field { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} modifies the state of polarisation of light , for instance by rotating it , depolarising , it , etc . . . . this modification of the polarisation is not instantaneous , but takes a characteristic length . l seq should be less than this characteristic length . mathematically we can express this as l seq & lt ; 1 b ^ _ ( 75 ) where by ∥{ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )}∥ we mean a suitable operator norm , such as ∥ { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )}=√ { square root over ( tr [{ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )})} † ·{ circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} ρ ])}=√{ square root over ( tr [( { circumflex over ( b )} x † { circumflex over ( b )} x +{ circumflex over ( b )} y † { circumflex over ( b )} y +{ circumflex over ( b )} z † { circumflex over ( b )} z ) ρ ])} ( 75b ) where ρ represents the state all the degrees of freedom that enter in { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )}. 2 ) the length l seq of the compensating sequence should be such that the unknown operator valued polarisation interaction { circumflex over ({ right arrow over ( b )} does not change significantly over distance l seq . mathematically this can be expressed as l seq & lt ; b ^ _ ∂ l b ^ _ , ( 76 ) where ∥·∥ is a suitable operator norm , for instance the same as in eq . ( 75b ). as we noted before , compensation will occur even when the conditions for first order are not fulfilled ; experiments will also tell how well the compensation works in this case . on the other hand it was shown previously that , even when conditions ( 75 ) and ( 76 ) are satisfied , the compensation will work better and better if l seq is made shorter and shorter . for the case illustrated in subsection 4 . 2 , we can further detail the conditions ( 75 ) and ( 76 ). we emphasize again however that ultimately the conditions should be determined experimentally . l b = 2 π b _ 0 is known as the beat length . it is the length after which the state of polarisation repeats itself . it can be readily measured using standard techniques . ( if we suppose , which is generally the case , that ω |{ right arrow over ( b )} 1 |& lt ;& lt ;|{ right arrow over ( b )} 0 |). [ we note that it may happen in some cases that { right arrow over ( b )} 0 is known , and one only wants to correct { right arrow over ( b )} 1 . in this case the techniques of section 3 . 7 can be used . and then the length scale must be modified and becomes l seq & lt ; 1 ω b _ 1 ( 76 c ) second note that the rate of change of { right arrow over ( b )} is known as the mode coupling length l mcl , see for instance [ 3 ] for a definition . it can be measured using standard techniques , see for instance [ 1 ]. we expect the rate of change of { right arrow over ( b )} 0 to be similar to the rate of change of { right arrow over ( b )} 1 . when this is the case the analogue of eq . ( 76 ) is if the rates of change of { right arrow over ( b )} 0 is different from the rate of change of { right arrow over ( b )} 1 , then it is the smallest rate of change which determines the analogue of ( 76 ). we would like draw attention to the fact that although above { circumflex over ( b )} x ( l ), { circumflex over ( b )} y ( l ) and { circumflex over ( b )} z ( l ) were taken to be due to interactions with the frequency , our method automatically corrects for any sources of depolarization — indeed , all interactions of polarization with other physical systems can be described by ( 68 ). the only requirement is for the interaction to be “ gradually changing ”, i . e . to be weak enough over the length of fiber l after which it is practical to insert the polarization rotation devices , so as to be in the first order of perturbation . it is also important to mention that while making the polarization rotations at intervals which assure the application of first order perturbation is desirable , this doesn &# 39 ; t mean that going outside this regime renders the method completely useless . on the opposite , the method can certainly be used . however the efficiency of the method is in general reduced ; the precise results can easily be computed by simply taking into account more orders in eq ( 32 ), depending on the particular parameters of the hamiltonian . it is worthwhile to note that ordinary polarization rotation devices ( such as ordinary λ / 2 plates etc .) are not generally achromatic . this means that such devices may themselves entangle polarization with frequency and using them may result in depolarization even when the fiber is perfect . of course , such devices could be used instead of the ( preferred ) achromatic ones as long as the depolarization due to the polarization rotation device is much smaller than the fiber - due depolarization that it helps correct . however even if the pmd of the polarisation rotation devices is larger than the pmd it is supposed to correct , one can devise the sequence in such a way that — at least to first order — the pmd induced by the rotation devices cancel . we call such sequences “ self - correcting sequences ” ( scs ). 5 . 1 . examples based on the proportionality of { right arrow over ( b )} 0 and { right arrow over ( b )} 1 in this subsection we described scs which exploit the fact that , when the model of section 4 . 2 is valid , { right arrow over ( b )} 0 and { right arrow over ( b )} 1 will in general be proportional one to the other , with ω { right arrow over ( b )} 1 much smaller than { right arrow over ( b )} 0 . as illustration we consider the sequence eq . ( 27 ) consisting alternating σ x and σ z operations . because of dispersion in the control elements , we suppose these control elements are implemented by operations of the form where β is equal to the ratio of { right arrow over ( b )} 1 to { right arrow over ( b )} 0 for the control elements . we suppose that βω & lt ;& lt ; 1 . we need to compute to first order in βω where l is the distance between the control elements . we recall that u ( l )▭ 1 − il { right arrow over ( b )}·{ right arrow over ( σ )} ph can be expanded to first order in 1 . we already know that the terms of first order in l , zero &# 39 ; th order in βωcancel . let us now consider the terms of zero &# 39 ; th order in l , first order in βω . we obtain for these terms which vanishes . thus we see that in this example the effect of pmd of the control optical elements cancels to first order . we now derive a general condition for first order compensation of the chromatic effects produced by the control operations . we derive this for ccs . using the notation of subsection 3 . 5 ( and in particular replacing length l by time t ), we write we want the first order terms in βω to cancel . define { tilde over ( h )} c ( t )= u c † ( t ) h c ( t ) u c ( t ) ( 83 ) where u c ( t ) is defined as the continuous limit of eq . 44 . the condition for first order cancellation of the dispersion produced by the control operations themselves is ( with t the duration of the sequence ) ∫ 0 t h ~ c ( t ) ⅆ t = 0 . ( 84 ) we now give a second method to correct imperfections in the control hamiltonian . as above we denote h c ( t ) the control hamiltonian we wish to implement . we suppose that when implementing h c ( t ), we also implement an additional hamiltonian h ad ( t ) which is unwanted . ( in the example above h ad = βωh c ( t ); here we do not require proportionality between h c and h ad .) thus we suppose that the total hamiltonian is h = h d + h c ( t )+ h ad ( t ). let us denote the unitary evolution engendered by h c by u c ( t ). more precisely it is given by the time ordered product : u c ( t ) = lim n → ∞ ( 1 - i t n h c ( ( n - 1 ) t n ) ) … ( 1 - i t n h c ( t n ) ) ( 1 - i t n h c ( 0 ) ) . ( 85 ) we will suppose that h c corrects polarisation mode dispersion . for instance it could obey the equations ∫ 0 t ⅆ tu c † ( t ) σ _ u c ( t ) = 0 , ( 86 ) or could obey other conditions ; the precise conditions do not matter here . here t is the time it takes to implement the sequence the idea of the method is to implement first the evolution u c , and then the inverse evolution u c † . in this way any imperfections which arise during the evolution of u c will get undone during the inverse evolution . more precisely we will suppose that the total hamiltonian takes the form the hypothesis that are required for the present method to work are thus that one can implement both h c and − h c , and that when one implements − h c , the unwanted additional hamiltonian h ad also gets a minus sign . this , will generally be the case when the physical process which gives rise to h c also gives to h ad . for instance in section 7 we suggest that h c = σ z ph can be implemented by squeezing the fiber in the vertical direction and that h c =− iσ z ph can be implemented by squeezing the fiber in the horizontal direction . we expect that in this case when h c changes sign , h ad will also change sign . to see that the present method works , we proceed as follows . denote by u the time ordered evolution for the total hamiltonian h ( i . e . it is the analogue of eq . ( 85 ), but with h c replaced by h ). we then have : 1 ) to zero &# 39 ; th order in h d ( that is if we set h d = 0 ), the relation u ( 2t − t )= u ( t ) holds . in particular this implies that to order zero in h d , u ( 2t )= i . in other words if the dispersive hamiltonian h d is equal to zero , then after time 2t the effects of h c and of h ad have cancelled , independently of the details of h ad . 2 ) any conditions which we impose on u c will continue to be satisfied to zero &# 39 ; th order in h ad ( that is if we set h ad = 0 ). for instance if the condition is of the form eq . ( 86 ), then to zero &# 39 ; th order in h ad it becomes : in summary in the present method , the effect of h ad will only be felt in terms which are both first order in h d and first order in h c . the advantage of this method is that it does not require any hypothesis to be made on h ad , except that it will change sign when we change the sign of h c . we note that the entire above discussion referred to depolarization of photons going through optical fibers . it must be clear however that identical procedures are effective in many other cases that are similar to this . examples are depolarization of electron spin during the propagation of electrons through electric wires , or depolarization of the spin of holes through semiconductor wires . in particular applications emerging from recent advances in the fields of spintronics , mesoscopy and nanoelectronics might benefit from our method . control elements of the form discussed above can of course be implemented by bulk optics , such as λ / 2 plates . but this implies that the light must be coupled out of the fiber and then reinjected into the fiber . this is both costly and induces losses , but could be useful for specific applications . the control elements ( polarisation rotation devices ) can be realized by modifying locally the fiber itself . indeed , any birefringence produces polarization rotation . by inducing a controlled amount of birefringence along an appropriate axis , any polarization rotation can be implemented . it is well known that birefringence can be induced by many effects , including 1 . inducing stress in the fiber 2 . applying pressure to the fiber 3 . bending the fiber 4 . twisting the fiber 5 . inducing stresses by in - homogenous cooling during fabrication . 6 . anisotropy in the structure of the fiber itself , as in elliptic core fibers . any of these methods can be used to realize the control operations . one preferred method is to induce permanent linear birefringence by inducing stresses in the fiber , for instance by deforming the fiber . this can be done either after the fiber has been drawn , or while it is being drawn . one possibility is to squeeze the fiber while it is being drawn so as to induce a permanent deformation . this idea is illustrated when the squeezing is realized by a pair of rollers in fig3 and 4 . in these figures the fiber is denoted 1 . 10 and the rollers 3 . 1 . the rollers are placed at an appropriate relative angle to each other . fig3 and 4 represent the same device , but in fig3 one views the fiber from the side , whereas in fig4 one views the fiber along its axis . the fiber is pulled through the rollers as indicated by the arrow on the fiber in fig3 . for example , in order to implement the sequence ( 27 ) we need to produce σ z ph and σ x ph rotations . this can be done by squeezing along alternating axes ( say along the horizontal direction and at 45 degrees to the horizontal ). the squeezings need to induce an appropriate amount of birefringence so that the squeezed regions effectively behave as λ / 2 plates and therefore implement the σ z ph and σ x ph rotations . a possibility is to have two squeezing mechanisms , one oriented horizontally and the other at 45 degrees to the horizontal and have them squeeze alternately , with an appropriate time delay , so that the fiber , after being drawn , ends up squeezed periodically along the desired axis . different combinations of squeezings ( oriented along different axis , and producing different amounts of birefringence ) can implement different sequences of rotations . note that squeezing along the vertical and horizontal directions induces an effective control hamiltonian which in one case is h c =+ σ z ph and in the other is h c =− σ z ph . this remark can be useful when implementing continuous compensating sequences , and when trying to ensure that the defects and in particular the pmd of the control elements cancels ( as in section 5 ). in order to implement continuous rotations of polarization we can use a squeezing mechanism that continuously squeezes the fiber as it is drawn . the amount of squeezing can be varied continuously . the orientation of the squeezing device ( and hence the axis of the rotation of polarization that the squeezing produces ) can be varied continuously as well . another method for implementing the polarization rotations is to apply periodic pressure and / or bending via some of the coatings . ( here by coating we refer to any of the layers that cover the optical fiber ; in practice each of the layers may have a specific name , such as inner coating , external coating , buffer , jacket , etc .) this can be done for example by using non - uniform ( periodically modulated ) coatings . one possibility is to periodically place on the fiber , or on one of the coatings of the fiber , little quantities of appropriate material ( say in form of drops or non - uniform rings or any other appropriate shape ) that are then covered by a normal uniform coating . the coating exerts pressure on these drops or rings which then press on the fiber . this is illustrated in fig5 and 6 . in these figures the fiber is denoted by 1 . 10 , the coating by 5 . 2 . fig5 illustrates the case where pressure is applied on the fiber via non - uniform rings ( denoted 5 . 1 ) placed periodically on the fiber and at different angles . the rings 5 . 1 can be placed directly on the fiber or on one of the inner coatings . fig6 illustrates the case where pressure is applied on the fiber via drops ( denoted 6 . 1 ) placed periodically on the fiber at different angles . the drops can be placed directly on the fiber or on one of the inner coatings . another method consists of subjecting the fiber to anisotropic thermal stresses while it cools during drawing . this can be done for instance by subjecting the fiber to sideways jets of cold air , or sideways heating by laser beams or other heating devices , as it is being drawn . the anisotropic cooling leads to controlled stress , thus controlled birefringence and ultimately controlled rotations of polarization . the intensity and / or direction of the cooling or heating devices ( jets or laser beams for instance ) can be changed , so as to induce changes in the induced rotations of polarisation . as in the case of sequeezing we note that one can implement h c and its opposite − h c by making the cooling / heating act in orthogonal directions , and that this can be particularly useful when implementing self correcting sequences described in section 5 . note that systems which rotate the polarisation will in general induce back reflection of light . this is an unwanted effect . however there are standard methods to reduce this back reflection , and in preferred embodiments the method comprises a step of reducing back reflection . one method is to put antireflection coating on bulk optical elements . in the cases where the control elements are introduced by modifying the birefringence of the fiber , back reflection will be minimized if the birefringence changes very little over a length equal to the wavelength of light . we also note that all the above implementations , indeed , all the compensating sequences presented here , can be combined with the method of spinning the fiber during manufacturing [ 4 ][ 5 ] to obtain the benefits of both methods . in one preferred embodiment which combines the two methods , a polarisation flip , σ x ph or σ z ph , is carried out after each spin period . we have presented a large number of different types of compensating sequences . they can be implemented separately or in different combinations . for example on the same fiber one can use a number of different ecs , in a random order . this prevents for any possible imperfections in a particular ecs to add - up systematically . one can also use a number of different pcs , in a random order . by its very definition , each pcs produces only partial compensation , but alternating them randomly produces further compensation . a skilled person can select an appropriate sequence for a particular fiber , depending on the fiber optical and mechanical properties , details of fabrication process , etc . thus for each particular type of fiber , a different sequence or combination of sequences may be preferred . in general exactly compensating sequences are preferred to partially compensating sequences . self - correcting sequences are also particularly preferred , see section 5 . in this way the imperfections in the implementation of the polarization rotations cancel automatically . we want to emphasize that although the sequences presented here are designed to produce best results when the constituent rotations are applied frequently enough such that the first order of perturbation applies , they also achieve some degree of compensation even outside this regime . on the other hand it can be shown that , when the first order of perturbation applies , the compensating sequences achieve better compensation if the length of the compensating sequence is shorter , see eq . 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in the following , the invention will be illustrated by referring to wcdma access scheme used in 3gpp umts system . it is , however , notified that the invention is not limited to umts solely , but it can be implemented in any communication system , wherein always - on applications or similar applications requiring continuous transmission of small application - related messages . for example , the invention may be utilized in gsm or wlan terminals including always - on applications . umts ( universal mobile telecommunications system ) is the 3 rd generation mobile communication system , wherein the wireless cellular access network is implemented using wcdma . in the system architecture of the umts terrestrial radio access network ( utran ) shown in fig1 , a radio network controller ( rnc ) is connected to a core network via an iu interface , the rncs are interconnected via an iur interface , and one rnc is connected to one or more node bs via an iub interface . a node b contains one or more cells , the cell being a basic unit to which user equipment ( ue ) has wireless access via a radio interface uu . considering the umts radio interface protocol architecture from the control plane perspective , as shown in fig2 , the bottom layer is a physical ( wcdma phy l1 ) layer , above the physical layer are a media access control ( mac ) layer , a radio link control ( rlc ) layer and a radio resource control ( rrc ) layer . the rrc layer offers services to higher layers of non - access stratum , i . e . to mobility management ( mm ), call control ( cc ), session management ( sm ) etc ., the signalling of which is encapsulated into rrc messages for transmission over the radio interface . the rrc layer uses the lower layer protocols , in turn , to configure the parameters for the physical , transport and logical channels , and to command the lower layer protocols to perform various measurements . from the rrc layer point of view , the user equipment ue operates either in a connected mode or in an idle mode . the connected mode is further divided into service states , which define what kind of physical channel the ue is using . when the ue is switched on , it operates in the idle mode by selecting a suitable cell of appropriate plmn ( public land mobile network ), and then tunes into its control channel , i . e . the ue “ camps on a cell ”. the ue remains in the idle mode until it transmits a request to establish an rrc connection , which , if successful , transits the ue into the connected mode . from the idle mode , the ue may transit into the cell_dch state or the cell_fach state of the connected mode . in the cell_dch state , a dedicated physical channel ( dch ) is allocated to the ue . the ue uses the dch in its user data and control information transmission . in the cell_fach state the ue uses either the forward access channel ( fach ) or the random access channel ( rach ) for transmitting both signalling messages and small amounts of user plane data . from the cell_fach state the ue may further transit into the cell_pch state or the ura_pch state to minimise the battery consumption , whereby the ue can only be reached via the paging channel ( pch ). in the cell_pch state , the ue is identified on a cell level in the serving rnc , but in ura_pch state only on utran registration area ( ura ) level . the ue leaves the connected mode and returns to the idle mode when the rrc connection is released or failed . the 3gpp document tr25 . 922 discloses a handover between a dch / dch and a rach / fach based on a traffic measurement of a transmission channel , and a method for dch / dch rate change . accordingly , when the traffic exceeds a certain threshold , there is a capability for a handover from a rach / fach to a dch / dch , or improving the dch rate by decreasing spreading factors . on the contrary , when the traffic is less than a certain threshold , there is a capability for a handover from the dch / dch to the rach / fach , or improving the dch rate by increasing spreading factors . the 3gpp documents tr25 . 922 and ts25 . 331 further disclose how the channel handover between a dch / dch and a rach / fach is carried out via rrc processes “ physical channel reconfiguration ” or “ transmission channel reconfiguration ”. for further details , a reference is made to said documents . the current consumption of the ue varies significantly , depending on the mode / state the ue is using . for example , the current consumption of the dch during transmission is substantially twice the current consumption of the fach . furthermore , a channel stay - up time has been defined for the dch , whereby after transmission the dch is specified to stay active for the stay - up time , during which the current consumption is similar to that of transmission . a typical value for the dch stay - up time is three seconds . in this view , the quite randomly scheduled messaging patterns of various always - on applications cause unnecessary power consumption . each transmission of a message , despite of its size , requires its own radio channel activation causing extra power consumption . this has led to solutions , wherein small messages are gathered for a certain time period , e . g . for 10 minutes , and then grouped into a package of messages for transmission . however , since the larger messages exceeding the given threshold must be transmitted on the dch , in such case the increase in power consumption is significant due to the higher current consumption combined with the dch stay - up time . according to an embodiment , savings in current consumption can be achieved by an implementation , wherein messages from different always - on applications are combined to use a uniform messaging pattern such that a number of messages are sent simultaneously , while still enabling extensive usage of the most energy efficient wcdma channels ( rrc states ). the implementation is most preferably carried out as a software application stored and executable in the ue , which application is herein referred by a name “ always - on battery saver ”, i . e . abs application . the operation of the abs application is further disclosed by referring to a block chart of fig3 . in fig3 , the terminal 300 includes the abs function 302 , which has a task of gathering information on the used parameters of the rrc states , on one hand , and on the communication patterns used by the various always - on applications 304 currently executed in the terminal , on the other hand . the terminal 300 may include one or more always - on applications 304 , which all have individual messaging patterns , which are collected to the abs function 302 . the terminal 300 further includes a radio resource management ( ue rrm ) block 306 , which together with nw rrm block 308 of the network controls the rrc states and the parameters required to set up , modify and release the lower layer protocol entities . now the abs function 302 gathers information on the communication patterns of the one or more always - on applications 304 . as mentioned above , the always - on applications may include presence / instant messaging services , ims services , push mail , which typically have a messaging pattern designed at least for downlink direction , but also possibly for uplink direction ( e . g . for uplink instant messaging messages ). most of the messages relating to the always - on applications are not critical to be transmitted real - time , i . e . in most cases a transmission delay of several minutes is still acceptable . for such messages , the abs function combines messages from various always - on applications into a group of messages , which at least in theory could be sent simultaneously together ( i . e . no unreasonable delay caused ). a second factor affecting the actual communication pattern is the objective to use the most energy efficient wcdma channels ( rrc states ) as extensively as possible . now these groups of messages combined by the abs function are examined further , if they could be transmitted in the fach state instead of the high current consuming dch state . for that purpose , the number of messages sent from each group of messages at a time is optimised in view of the capacity of the fach , for example . thus , the size of the messages is compared to the maximum size of data to be transferred on fach , and then preferably a message package is determined , which includes one or more messages from various always - on applications such that the total size of the message package is as close to the maximum size of fach data as possible . naturally , if the size of even one message exceeds that the maximum size of fach data , then the dch must be used for transmitting the message . according to an embodiment , the abs function preferably examines whether the current cell of the terminal supports the cell_pch state . if the cell_pch state is supported , then it could be used instead of the idle state to minimize the current consumption of the terminal during idle times . regardless of whether the cell_pch state is supported or not , the abs function preferably further examines if the network supports state transitions from idle - to - fach or merely from idle - to - dch , and what are the inactivity periods and the threshold values of data amount for state transitions . then , based on these parameters and gathered or presumed values of current consumption in different states , the abs function then starts to determine the most energy efficient messaging pattern . according to an embodiment , if only the state transition from idle - to - dch is supported , then based on the average amount of message data from the various always - on applications , the abs function calculates whether it is advantageous to optimise the total size of the message package and its transmission interval such that the terminal ue automatically stays on the cell_fach state ( i . e . no transit to the idle state ). the other option is to transit to the idle state after the transmission of the message package , whereby current savings are achieved in the idle state , but the wake - up to the connected mode is always performed via the high current consuming cell_dch state . on the other hand , if the current cell of the terminal supports the cell_pch state or state transitions from idle - to - fach , then according to an embodiment , the total size of the message package is preferably optimised in view of fach transmission . between the transmissions the terminal ue may transit to the idle state or the cell_pch state , and by the time of the next transmission a state transition from idle - to - fach or from pch - to - fach is carried out . altogether , the parameters which typically affect to the determination of the most energy efficient messaging pattern include at least current consumption in different rrc states , inactivity timers of state transitions , and the adjusted data transmission capacity of each rrc state . in wcdma networks , there are typically determined at least three different inactivity timers for state transitions : timer t 1 for the state transition from dch - to - fach , timer t 2 for the state transition from fach - to - pch or fach - to - idle , and timer t 3 from pch - to - idle . all these timers and their values are network controlled , typically managed by the rnc . timer t 1 determines the inactivity period , which is required after traffic on the dch channel , after which period the ue may transit to the cell_fach state . the t 1 value is typically a couple of seconds ( e . g . 2 - 5 s ) and it may depend on the used dch data rate such that the higher the data rate , the shorter the inactivity period . on the other hand , the t 1 value should not be too short , because it would deteriorate user experience e . g . in web browsing . timer t 2 determines the inactivity period , which is required after traffic on the fach channel , after which period the ue may transit to the idle state or cell_pch state . also the t 2 value is typically a couple of seconds ( e . g . 2 s ), but depending on the used services it is also possible to have no timer t 2 at all , i . e . the t 2 value is zero . timer t 3 determines the rrc connection release period , i . e . the inactivity period of the cell_pch state to transit to the idle state , which is typically at least ten minutes . the current consumption of a terminal ue in different states is always terminal - specific , and therefore only rough estimates can be given . in the contemporary mobile terminals , the current consumption in the dch state is about 200 - 260 ma . in the fach state , the current consumption is roughly half of that in the dch state , i . e . about 100 - 130 ma . in the pch state , the current consumption is very minimal , typically only a few ( 2 - 5 ) ma . however , it is very likely that as the technology advances , the absolute current values will become smaller , while their mutual ratio probably stays essentially the same . accordingly , it is obvious that the values of the timers t 1 and t 2 and the current consumption of the terminal in the dch and fach states are the parameters that have significance , when determining the most energy efficient messaging pattern . regarding the data transmission capacity of each rrc state , the thresholds of buffered data triggering a state transition can be adjusted by the network operator . in many cases , a state transition threshold from fach - to - dch has been adjusted to 128 bytes of buffered data , but , for example , a threshold value of 1 kb data could be used as well . once the appropriate size of the message packages has been determined , a transmission interval is then calculated , i . e . how often the message packages should be sent such that no unreasonable delay or buffering of the messages is caused . naturally , the inactivity periods triggering the state transitions are also taken into account . as mentioned above , in some occasions , it is preferable that the terminal ue stays all the time on the fach state rather than transiting to idle state and then via dch state back to the fach state . then on the basis of the message package size and the transmission interval uniform messaging patterns are determined , preferably separately for both the uplink messaging and the downlink messaging . however , when considering especially the dch state , both the uplink messaging and the downlink messaging should be taken into account , since the dch channel is always established in both directions . therefore , it there is downlink traffic on the dch , it is also preferably to send as much data as possible to uplink direction . the abs function 302 indicates the downlink messaging pattern to always - on application servers 310 connected to the access network . then the application servers 310 operate together with the rrm block 308 of the network to organise the downlink messages to be transmitted such that they are received in the terminal in optimised way . regarding the uplink messaging , the abs function preferably itself controls the formation and transmission of the always - on messages according to the determined uplink messaging pattern . then based on the message package size , the rrm block of the terminal allocates a suitable state for the transmission , e . g . via the above - mentioned rrc processes “ physical channel reconfiguration ” or “ transmission channel reconfiguration ”. according to an embodiment , if there are particular reasons to use a high transmission capacity channel having low energy efficiency ( e . g . dch in case of wcdma ) for transmitting a certain message , then the abs function is configured to transmit other buffered messages at the same time . typically this does not cause any significant increase in current consumption , since most of the current consumption is due to the long inactivity timer . hence , the dch channel activation is utilised most efficiently . thus , if the user of the ue sends a long message ( e . g . email polling ) on the dch or an always - on application requires a certain message to be transmitted at a particular time instance on the dch , then for example the buffered status and keep - alive messages of the other always - on applications are transmitted on the dch as well . according to an embodiment , the abs function may still be configured to use a timer for adjusting the transmission of the messages from the other always - on applications . then if , for example , a status message of an always - on application has just been sent ( i . e . the timer has not yet expired ), no new status message is sent , even if the dch channel is activated “ for free ”. some basic principles relating to the process of determining a uniform messaging pattern for the always - on application messages is further illustrated in the flow chart of fig4 . in this illustration , the process is described on a general level , without limiting it particularly to wcdma networks and its rrc states . the process of determining a uniform messaging pattern in the abs function starts by gathering ( 400 ) information on the messaging patterns of the one or more always - on applications used in the terminal . another step is to gather ( 402 ) information on parameters of communication channels allocated for said sending and receiving of said messages . in case of wcdma , this practically means gathering information on the used parameters of the rrc states . the order of these steps may vary , and on the other hand , the latter step may be performed e . g . simultaneously with one or more of the steps described below . in this illustration , the next step is to determine ( 404 ) an allowable transmission delay for said messages . as mentioned above , in most cases an acceptable transmission delay of several minutes may be allocated to most of the always - on application messages . next , messages from the one or more always - on applications used in the terminal are calculated ( 406 ) during the allowable transmission delay , resulting in a cumulative group of messages . now the size of this group of messages is compared ( 408 ) to the allocated parameters of communication channels ( e . g . the parameters of the rrc states ), and if the transmission capacity of the most energy efficient communication channel (“ 1 st channel ” in fig4 ) allows , then a message package including one or more messages transmittable within said transmission capacity is determined . finally , for completing the uniform messaging pattern , a transmission interval is determined ( 410 ) for the message packages such that all messages within said group of messages are transmitted during said allowable transmission delay . however , if it is noticed ( in step 408 above ) that no message package transmittable within the transmission capacity of the most energy efficient communication channel can be defined , then it is examined whether it is possible to define ( 412 ) a message package transmittable within the transmission capacity of the next most energy efficient communication channel (“ 2 nd channel ” in fig4 ). if such message package can be defined , then a transmission interval is determined ( 410 ) for the message packages . if there is still no transmittable message package found , then the least energy efficient communication channel (“ 3 rd channel ” in fig4 ) is allocated ( 414 ) for transmitting the message package with a suitable transmission interval ( 410 ). in this example , it is assumed that there are only three communication channels with different transmission capacities available . a skilled man appreciates that if there are more than three channels available , then the steps 408 - 414 should be repeated until a suitable communication channel for transmitting the message package is found . a skilled man also appreciates that in a real case of wcdma , the actual implementation is not as straightforward as described in fig4 . in case of wcdma , the state transition supported by the network and the inactivity timers for the state transitions should be carefully taken into account , and their effect to the total current consumption should be evaluated . furthermore , in the wcdma , there are only two channels ( fach and dch ) available for transmitting the messages , but also the third channel ( pch ) should be considered for state transitions . a skilled man further appreciates that any of the embodiments described above may be implemented as a combination with one or more of the other embodiments , unless there is explicitly or implicitly stated that certain embodiments are only alternatives to each other . the advantages of the embodiments can be illustrated by the following hypothetical example . let us suppose that the user of the ue has 100 presence contacts that change their status 10 times in a day , and the size of a user update message is 300 bytes . regarding the relevant rrc parameters , the dch minimum bitrate is 64 kbps , the inactivity timer t 1 ( the dch stay - up time ) is set to three seconds , and the current consumption of an active dch channel is 220 ma . for the fach , the maximum size of data to be transferred on fach is adjusted to 1000 bytes ( 1 kb ), there is no inactivity timer ( t 2 = 0 ), and the fach current consumption is 120 ma . now considering a conventional ( prior art ) implementation for sending the update messages , the update messages would be first collected for the period of 10 minutes and then the whole package of the collected messages would be sent to the ue . 100 presence contacts , each sending a status update message 10 times in a day , makes 1000 update messages in a day , i . e . about 6 . 9 messages per 10 minutes . the size of the package (˜ 6 . 9 * 300 b ) is little more than 2 kb , which means that the package must be sent on the dch . the duration of the transmission is 64 kbps /˜ 2 kb =˜ 0 . 25 s , plus the dch stay - up time three seconds = 3 . 25 s in total . thus , the average current consumption for the 10 minutes period is 220 ma * 3 . 25 s /( 10 * 60 s )= 1 . 2 ma . according to an embodiment , a more optimised method for sending the update messages can be achieved , if the number of update messages sent at a time is optimised in view of the capacity of the fach . thus , since the maximum size of data to be transferred on fach is 1000 bytes and the size of a user update message is 300 bytes , the update message package may include three messages . in order to send all the 1000 update messages in a day , such update message package including three messages must be sent 1000 /( 24 * 3 )= 13 . 9 times per hour , i . e . every 4 . 32 minutes . thus , the average current consumption for the 4 . 32 minutes period is 120 ma * 0 . 25 s /( 4 . 32 * 60 s )= 0 . 115 ma . accordingly , the average current consumption of the ue is dropped to one tenth , i . e . by about 90 %, compared to the prior art implementation . a skilled person appreciates that the above example is only hypothetical and in real use - cases , the savings in current consumption may be more or less than said 90 %, depending on the used always - on applications and their various parameters . however , at the same time it is evident that the embodiments disclosed herein provide significant savings in current consumption , regardless of the used always - on applications and their parameters . it should be noted that from the network viewpoint , the current savings are even more significant , since the number of messages can easily grow exponentially , when more users subscribe the presence service , which results in growing number of contacts for each user and growing number of update messages at the same time . an example of a possible implementation of a user equipment ue is illustrated in a simplified block diagram shown in fig4 . the user equipment ue comprises an rf part including a transceiver tx / rx for arranging radio frequency communication via the antenna ant with a node b ( base station ) of the network . user interface means ui typically comprise a display , a keyboard , a microphone ( μf ) and a loud speaker ( ls ). the user equipment ue further comprises a memory mem for storing computer program code to be executed by the central processing unit cpu comprising at least one processor . the memory mem includes a non - volatile portion for storing the applications controlling the central processing unit cpu and other data to be stored and a volatile portion to be used for temporary data processing . the functionalities of the invention , i . e . the abs function , may be implemented in the user equipment ue , such as a mobile station , as a computer program which , when executed in a central processing unit cpu or in a dedicated digital signal processor dsp , affects the terminal device to implement procedures of the invention . the functions of the computer program , e . g . different sub - routines , may be distributed to several separate program components communicating with one another . the computer software may be stored into any memory means , such as the hard disk of a pc or a cd - rom disc , from where it can be loaded into the memory of mobile terminal . the computer software can also be loaded through a network , for instance using a tcp / ip protocol stack . it is also possible to use hardware solutions or a combination of hardware and software solutions to implement the inventive means . accordingly , the above computer program product can be at least partly implemented as a hardware solution , for example as asic or fpga circuits , in a hardware module comprising connecting means for connecting the module to an electronic device , or as one or more integrated circuits ic , the hardware module or the ics further including various means for performing said program code tasks , said means being implemented as hardware and / or software . it is obvious that the present invention is not limited solely to the above - presented embodiments , but it can be modified within the scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
the present invention will now be described in detail for specific preferred embodiments of the invention . these embodiments are intended only as illustrative examples and the invention is not to be limited thereto . one embodiment of the present invention is an inhaler for delivery of medication from either of a first canister 10 or a second canister 11 to the lungs of a patient by inhalation through the patient &# 39 ; s mouth . the first and second canisters are not a part of the invention , but are supplied by pharmaceutical companies . this embodiment of the invention accepts nearly all of the commonly prescribed mdi canisters , which have a compression spray outlet . the inhaler comprises a cowling 26 , which is a universal receptor and holder for the mdi canisters . in a typical embodiment , a dual canister inhaler has a cowling , which is further comprised of a support structure 110 , a first canister receptor and a second canister receptor . each of the first canister receptor and the second canister receptor has a flexible fitting 113 and a ring 114 . the flexible fitting is supported within the ring . the ring has an inner diameter , which supports and guides the compression spray outlets of each of the mdi canisters into the flexible fitting . the flexible fitting engages the compression spray outlet 14 ( see fig8 ) of each of the two canisters , creating a seal around compression spray outlets of the mdi canisters . the support structure of the cowling 26 has the ring and flexible fitting fixed in one end , and the other end is open , allowing the patient to insert each of the two mdi canisters , with diameter about 0 . 94 inches or less , into the cowling . the shape of the inner walls of the support structure 110 of the cowling is the same cylindrical shape typical of mdi canisters , but the wall of the support structure is not homogeneously solid . as shown in fig5 one embodiment of the cowling has solid cylindrical walls only on the upper half of the cowling . the solid wall in the upper half of the cowling helps the patient insert the mdi canister into the inhaler . the lower half has solid walls connecting to the ring only on the front and back surfaces of the cowling . this allows a sliding selector switch to engage the lip of a mdi canister to selectively engage either one or the other mdi canister that is inserted into the cowling . in another embodiment , the support structure of the cowling could have solid walls on the left and right of the cowling , connecting to the ring , allowing a sliding selector switch to engage the lip of a mdi canister from the front and back of the cowling . it would be obvious to one skilled in the art that other combinations are possible for allowing the sliding selector switch to engage an mdi canister in the cowling , and these alternatives are included within the scope of this invention . in yet another embodiment , the support structure of the cowling 101 is solid on the front and back , and their is a connecting solid between the structure supporting the two canisters , as shown in fig8 . in this embodiment , the exterior sides are left open . the particular embodiment shown in fig8 also shows an alternative embodiment for the flexible fitting and ring . in this particular embodiment , the ring and flexible fitting were omitted intentionally , and the compression spray outlet entered directly into the cowling receiving section inlet port of the housing . a preferred embodiment of the cowling receiving section is described in detail below . the cowling of this invention acts to hold the canisters in place , also . in an alternative embodiment , a locking plate 71 is included that mechanically locks each of the mdi canisters in place within the cowling 26 . fig5 shows an example of a locking plate . the previously mentioned sliding selector switch 21 has the same number of operating positions as there are canisters . therefore , a dual canister design has both a first operating position , see fig6 and a second operating position , see fig7 . by operating position , the inventors mean that one of the canisters is engaged by the sliding selector switch ( or selector ), and by depressing an actuator lever , the canister can be activated by the patient , dispensing medication . an example of an indicator display mechanism is illustrated in fig6 and 7 . when the selector is in the first operating position , a first arrow 56 is visible in the first indicator window 53 and points to the first canister 10 . when the selector is in the second operating position , as second arrow 54 is visible in the second indicator window 51 and points to the second canister 11 . in an alternative embodiment , the sliding selector switch 21 has a non - operative , locking position , which keeps an actuator lever 23 from being depressed by locking the actuating lever in the fully depressed position . in an alternative embodiment , the locking mechanism can lock the actuator lever in the fully deployed or up position . in yet another alternative , the locking mechanism is simply moved to a non - functional position , which engages no mdi canister ; therefore , the actuator lever freely moves without engaging any canister , and this embodiment can also incorporate a means for securing the actuator lever in the fully depressed or down position . this means for securing can be a fastener , an elastic band , a twist , a hold down , a hook , a snap , a keeper mounted on the chamber body or a detent on the chamber body that engages a protrusion attached to the bottom of the lever arm that approximates the shape of a portion of an oblate spheroid . in a preferred embodiment , the lever arm would be prevented from engaging the means for securing when in an operating position , because the lever arm would never be completely depressed unless the sliding selector switch was placed in the non - operating , locking position . then , the patient could simply snap the lever arm into the locked position . in one embodiment the cowling 26 is a part of a larger housing assembly . alternatively , the cowling is mechanically engaged , fastened , attached , fixed , fused or adhered within a cowling receiving section of the housing or a housing assembly of the inhaler . in general , the inventor refers to these various methods of incorporating the cowling within the cowling receiving section by the term fixedly seated ; therefore , the cowling is fixedly seated within the cowling receiving section . in one embodiment of the invention , the housing comprises a chamber receiving section 29 , a cowling receiving section , a sliding selector switch support 83 , a fresh air inlet 75 , and an enclosed passage . in this embodiment the cowling receiving section is shaped to accept the shape of the outer dimensions of the cowling 26 , and the sliding selector switch 21 . as one example , the cowling can be fixedly seated in the cowling receiving section , as shown in fig5 using an integral securing tab 114 . the cowling receiving section in fig5 has an upright centered tab support 116 and two upright pin supports , for example item 117 , that seat the cowling 26 within the cowling receiving section . other ways of fixedly seating the cowling in the cowling receiving section of the housing are known in the art and are within the scope of this invention , and the invention is not limited to the description in this particular example . the cowling receiving section has cowling receiving section inlet ports , corresponding to the position and number of mdi canisters that the cowling accepts . for a dual canister inhaler , two receiving section inlet ports 73 , 74 are located in the housing . when the mdi canisters are inserted into the cowling by the patient , the mdi canister compression spray outlets are inserted into the flexible fittings of the cowling . thereby , each of the compression spray outlets extends into the cowling receiving section inlet ports of the housing and into the enclosed passage of the housing . the enclosed passage of the housing is defined by the inner surface of the housing ( interior walls ). the enclosed passage of the housing ends in the chamber receiving section . an example of the chamber receiving section 29 is the opening of the housing adjacent to the chamber , as shown in fig8 . in one embodiment of the invention , the interior surface of the housing defines a compression spray outlet engaging stage , also . the compression spray outlet engaging stage , in this particular embodiment , is merely a platform in the housing below the cowling receiving section inlet ports , which engages the compression spray outlets of the mdi canisters , when either of the mdi canisters is depressed by the patient , depressing the actuator lever of the inhaler . in one specific embodiment , the compression spray outlet engaging stage is defined by a protrusion of the surface of the housing back into the cavity of the housing . by protrusion , the inventors mean that the solid wall that defines the surface of the housing has an indentation on one end that extends back into the cavity of the housing , making a shelf within the housing that leaves sufficient space for the compression spray outlet to rest on the shelf , when the canister is fully inserted into the cowling . in one embodiment , the shelf gradually slopes downward toward the chamber receiving section ; therefore , when the compression spray outlet of the canister is depressed , there is a gap between the shelf and the compression spray outlet . this causes the dispersal of the medication to occur in the general direction of the chamber receiving section . in another embodiment , the shelf is essentially flat , and the spray from the compression spray outlet is randomly dispersed throughout the enclosed passage of the housing . in yet another embodiment of the invention , channels are formed in the compression spray outlet engaging stage , wherein each of the compression spray outlets of the mdi canisters fit into a closed end of one of the channels , and the other end of the channels are open , directing the spray from the compression spray outlet in a desired direction within the housing of the inhaler . for example , in one embodiment , the channel directs the spray in the direction of the chamber , and in another embodiment , the channel directs the spray in a direction opposite to the chamber , enhancing mixing of the spray with external , fresh air entering through an inhalation vent in the housing prior to the spray entering the chamber through the enclosed passage of the housing . a portion of a protrusion that forms a down - sloping compression spray outlet engaging stage of one of the embodiments of the invention is shown in fig8 and is labeled as item 28 . in yet another embodiment , the protrusion is replaced by a compression spray outlet engaging stage that is defined by a step - like feature in the surface of the housing . by a step - like feature , the inventors mean that , instead of a protrusion back into the housing , the housing appears to have a tread and riser of step with a nearly 90 - degree angle or more preferably an arcuate transition , which similarly defines a shelf within the housing below the cowling receiving section inlet ports . this shelf performs the same function as the shelf formed by the protrusion , and can likewise slope downward toward the chamber to direct the medications toward the chamber . in yet other embodiments of the invention , the shelf - like feature of the previous embodiments is replaced by inserts placed between the housing and the cowling . the insert of one alternative embodiment of the invention is essentially a tube with two open ends , having one end that flares to a flange and the other end having a conical shape . the conically - shaped end of the insert is inserted into the housing through the cowling receiving port , and the flared flange end centers the insert within the cowling receiving port and secures the insert in place by fixing it between the housing and the ring in the cowling . one of the inserts is placed in each of the cowling receiving section inlet ports of the housing . when the patient inserts a canister into the cowling , the compression spray outlet of the canister is inserted into the tube of the insert . the length and diameter of the tube of the insert are selected to allow nearly all of the compression spray outlets of commonly prescribed mdi canisters to fit within the tube , with the end of the compression spray outlet resting in the taper of the conical tip of the tube of the insert . therefore , when the patient depresses the actuator lever 23 , the compression spray outlet 14 is compressed , causing dispersal of medication into the enclosed passage of the housing . in another embodiment , the inserts are mechanically attached to the housing . in an alternative embodiment the inserts are fixed to the housing . in yet another embodiment , the structure referred to as an insert is integral to the cowling receiving section inlet ports of the housing . in yet another embodiment , two inserts are joined to each other by a tab of solid between them . other ways to compress the compression spray outlets of a mdi canister are known in the art and are included within the scope of this invention . all of the various ways of compressing the spray outlets of the mdi canisters are referred to herein , generally , as a compression spray outlet compression mechanism . the term compression spray outlet engaging device refers solely to an insert device , and the term compression spray outlet engaging stage refers solely to a platform within the housing , which can be an attached platform or an integral compression spray outlet engaging stage . the term integral compression spray outlet engaging stage refers solely to a compression spray outlet engaging stage that is formed by a protrusion or a step - like feature in the surface of the housing , itself . the sliding selector switch 21 is slidably and pivotally mounted on the sliding selector switch support 83 . in a dual canister inhaler , the sliding selector switch is capable of engaging either canister , individually , when positioned by the patient in one of the two corresponding operating positions . an actuator lever 23 has a lever arm 22 and a distal end 20 . the distal end 20 of the actuator lever 23 is pivotally mounted on the sliding selector switch support 83 of the housing and engages the sliding selector switch 21 , when the actuator lever 23 is depressed by the patient . the distal end 20 of the actuator lever 23 has a cowling opening 136 , wherein the cowling 26 and canisters 10 , 11 pass through the cowling opening 136 . in one embodiment the actuator lever is pivotally mounted to the sliding selector switch support of the housing by a pin . a more preferred embodiment is shown in fig5 ; the distal end 20 of the actuator lever has a hole on each side 130 that engage two corresponding keepers 81 , 82 extending from the sliding selector switch support 83 of the housing . yet another embodiment of the actuator lever pivotal attachment is shown in fig8 which is a mechanism similar to the mechanism in fig5 except that the keeper 102 is integral with the sliding selector switch support , having projecting pins from each end of the sliding selector switch support . other methods of pivotally attaching the actuator are know in the art and are included within the scope of the invention , and the invention is not to be limited to the examples and description herein . a chamber further comprises a chamber body , 24 a mouthpiece 25 and an housing mating section 18 , wherein the chamber body is a solid shell that connects the mouthpiece at one end of the chamber body to the housing mating section at the opposing end of the chamber body . the housing mating section is an opening in the chamber , and the housing mating section 18 engages the chamber receiving section 29 of the housing 27 . in one embodiment , shown in fig5 the open housing mating section 18 fits into the chamber receiving section 29 of the housing 27 , a tab on the top of the housing mating section 93 fits a slot in the top of the chamber receiving section 92 , and another tab on the bottom of the housing mating section 94 slidably locks into a corresponding slot on the chamber receiving section . in another embodiment the housing mating section fits over the chamber receiving section , and the tabs and slots are reversed , tabs on the chamber receiving section and slots on the housing mating section . any combination of opposing tabs and slots would suffice for joining the two sections , whether on the tops or sides of the two sections . by using the term engages , the inventors specifically include known methods of fastening , fusing , adhering and attaching the sections to each other , but do not limit the scope of the invention thereto . yet other means of mechanically engaging the two sections are known in the art and are included within the scope of the invention . the mouthpiece 25 is shaped to fit the patient &# 39 ; s mouth and has a mouthpiece vent , which allows the mixture of air and medication in the chamber body to enter the patient &# 39 ; s mouth flow to the patient &# 39 ; s lungs , during inhalation . an example is shown in fig8 . in an alternative embodiment , a face mask can be attached to end of the mouthpiece . face masks are known in the art and are designed to conform to the patient &# 39 ; s face for patients that cannot use the mouthpiece properly . then inventors use the term mouthpiece to refer to the portion of the chamber that includes the surface structure of the mouthpiece , the mouthpiece vent and , in alternative embodiments of the invention , the exhalation vent or exhalation port and the valve assembly fixed within the mouthpiece end of the chamber body . as shown in fig2 the chamber 24 opposes the actuator lever 22 , and a patient can easily depress the actuator lever by squeezing the lever arm to the chamber body using the patient &# 39 ; s entire hand , rather than only the thumb and forefinger . in addition , the actuator lever 24 provides a mechanical advantage , reducing the force that must be applied by the patient to activate an mdi canister . depressing the actuator lever engages the sliding selector switch 21 . if the sliding selector switch 21 is in the first operating position , then the compression spray outlet of the first cannister is activated . if the sliding selector switch is in the second operating position , then the compression spray outlet of the second canister is activated . medication is dispensed from either the first canister or the second canister , respectively . upon dispensing the medication , the atomized mist from the inhaler is directed through the housing 27 and into the chamber 24 . during inhalation by the patient , a vent in the housing brings fresh air into the housing sweeping the remaining atomized mist from the housing into the chamber , where it mixes with the air , and is drawn through the mouthpiece and into the patient &# 39 ; s lungs through the patient &# 39 ; s mouth . in one preferred embodiment of the invention , a valve assembly in the mouthpiece of the chamber allows the mixture of medication and air to be drawn through the mouthpiece during inhalation , but during exhalation , the inhalation valve closes , and an exhalation valve opens , allowing the exhaled air to escape from an exhalation vent in the mouthpiece . this allows the patient to inhale the medication in multiple breaths . examples of the diaphragm valve 61 and valve body 62 are shown in fig5 and 8 . during inhalation air passes through the top cross - slit 65 , and the bottom cross - slit 66 is closed against the valve body , keeping any external air from entering the mouthpiece through the exhalation vent 19 . during exhalation , the top cross - slit 65 closes against the valve body , and the bottom cross - slit 66 opens , allowing exhaled air to exit through the two oval openings 67 , 68 on the diaphragm valve . the direction of the air reverses direction within the valve body 62 , and exits through the open bottom cross - slit 65 out the exhalation vent 19 of the mouthpiece . in an embodiment without a valve assembly of any kind , there would also be no exhalation vent in the mouthpiece . the mouthpiece can be integral to the chamber , or the mouthpiece can be mechanically attached , fastened , fused or adhesively bonded to the chamber body . in a preferred embodiment , a single diaphragm valve and valve body are fixed in the mouthpiece , and the diaphragm valve is held in position by the rod - like projections ( for example item 132 in fig8 ) from the valve body that engage corresponding holes in projections extending from the mouthpiece and exhalation vent ( not shown ). the rod - like projections extend through the holes in the periphery of the diaphragm valve ( for example item 69 in fig8 ), and the projections extending from the mouthpiece and exhalation vent force the diaphragm valve 61 to be in direct contact with the valve body 62 . in another embodiment of the invention , the inhalation valve is located at the inlet of the housing , while the exhalation valve remains in the mouthpiece . in yet another embodiment of the invention , the inhaler has an inhalation valve located in the mouthpiece , or in an alternative embodiment in the housing , and no exhalation valve is present , requiring the patient to remove the inhaler from the patient &# 39 ; s mouth while exhaling or to exhale through the patient &# 39 ; s nose . the return pressure exerted by the mdi canister is sufficient to return the actuator lever 23 to the up position ( or deployed position ), without any additional spring mechanism . if desirable for ergonomic reasons , it is known in the art how to insert a spring mechanism into the design . for example , a coil spring could be added at the distal end , where the distal end is pivotally attached to the housing , if it were desirable to add some additional resistance to the actuator lever or for any other reason . addition of a an additional spring mechanism is within the scope of the invention . the standard , universal cowling is designed to accept mdi canisters of nearly all commonly prescribed medications , and the cowling helps to guide the canister into the inlet port of the housing when the patient inserts a mdi canister into the inhaler . in addition , the cowling provides support to the canister when the patient depresses the actuator lever , dispensing medication into the housing of the inhaler . specialized cowlings may be designed for unusual mdi canisters or new mdi canisters that would not fit the universal cowling . by universal , the inventors mean that the cowling is designed to accept nearly all commonly prescribed mdi canisters . an example of an optional audible signaling device or whistle is shown in fig5 . the whistle shown is installed in the valve body in the mouthpiece . in an alternative embodiment , the whistle is installed in the inlet of the housing . the term whistle is used here synonymously with any type of audible signaling device that can be made to impart an audible warning when the rate of air , or alternatively the air over - pressure , exceeds a desirable limit during inhalation . the purpose of the whistle is to alert the patient that the patient is inhaling too rapidly , allowing the patient to reduce the rate of inhalation , improving the efficacy of delivery . | 0 |
fig1 shows a cigarette pack with a rigid card pack 1 with a “ flip - top ” lid 2 containing a package 3 of cigarettes having a charge of cigarettes ( not shown ) inside a sealed enclosure formed by a barrier layer . the bounds of an aperture for allowing access to the cigarettes are indicated by parallel dotted lines 4 extending from the rearside of the package 3 where a hinge line is formed on the edge 5 across the top of the package and down the front as far as a third line 6 parallel to hinge 5 . the barrier layer which encloses the charge may be make for example of metallized plastics or of a plastics / metal foil laminate . over its aperture lies a lamella 7 in the form of a label , which has on its undersurface nearer to the barrier layer a permanently tacky adhesive . the permanently tacky adhesive covers continuously the undersurface of a main portion 13 of the lamella . however , it may be applied to selected area only , but must be present where the lamella 7 extends at edges 8 and 9 beyond the openable edges of the aperture . a permanent bonding adhesive may be used on the portion of the undersurface which does not overlie the edges of the barrier layer . beyond one edge of the main portion 13 is a tab 10 hingeable about a hinge line 12 which is free of the permanently tacky material . the tab projects so that it may be grasped by the user and used to pull the label to open the package . for the first use , the aperture edges 4 and 6 may have been defined by lines of weakening in the barrier material or by actual cuts to assist opening the aperture . the user is then free to remove cigarettes from the package through the aperture and after having done so may reseal the aperture simply by bringing down the tab so that the edge portions 8 , 9 re - adhere to the adjacent portions of the barrier layer material . the flap of barrier material formed by the separation along those lines when the tab 10 was lifted is returned to its previous position and although there will now be a line of separation in that barrier layer it is covered by the adhered edges 8 , 9 of the lamella . to ensure as far as possible efficient adhesion an inner frame within the package offers a reaction surface underneath the barrier layer against the resealing pressure exerted on edges 8 and 9 . the package 3 may be a separate entity removable from the outer carton . the latter may be of any suitable type and in particular may be of the so - called “ shell and slide ” type wherein the package may be pressed from one end of the carton to protrude from the other for the purpose of exposing cigarettes for more ready access by the user . furthermore , the package above may be an independent entity , that is to say , may be sold without a rigid carton surrounding it , at least if , preferably , means such as a conventional clear celluloid overwrap were provided to provide further protection and prevent accidental disturbance of the tab 10 . the resealable barrier layer may also be over a rigid carton . fig2 shows a plan view of the undersurface of the lamella 7 which is completely covered with a layer 18 of permanently tacky adhesive . the tab 10 has been given a layer of varnish 19 to mask the adhesive on it . fig3 is a schematic cross - sectional view of the lamella along the line aa ′ of fig2 . the lamella is in the form of a bilaminate with an inner layer 14 to lie next to the barrier layer of a pack and an outer layer 15 to be exposed . a severance line 16 has been cut through the thickness of the inner layer 14 only , to define the boundary between the main portion 13 of the lamella and the handling tab 10 . the connective hinge line 12 in the outer layer is coincident with the severance line and allows the tab 10 to hinge outwardly . fig4 shows the tab 10 folded back to overlie the main portion of the lamella . temporary ( degrading ) adhesive 20 may hold , or assist holding , in that position . fig4 also shows how permanently tacky adhesive layer 18 , if present on the tab 10 , is masked by varnish layer 19 or other covering . an advantage of constructing the lamella as a bilaminate is that a cut can be made in the inner layer 14 to form the severance line 16 before the outer layer 15 is bonded to the inner layer . this requires much less control over the depth of cut than if the lamella were formed from a unitary layer . a further advantage is that the inner 14 and outer 15 layers can be cut or stamped out of preadhesively coated sheet . the adhesive coating on the sheet of the inner layer 14 forms the permanently tacky adhesive on the inner face of the lamella , while the adhesive coating on the sheet of the outer layer 15 bonds the two layers together . if the inner layer is cut or stamped out of a pre - coated sheet , any adhesive extending to the inner surface of the tab is preferably be neutralised . this is conveniently done by applying a layer of varnish to the adhesive on the tab . alternatively the portion of the sheet which is to form the tab is left without permanently - tacky adhesive . to produce a pack as in wo - a - 98 / 22367 and in which the tab is provided in an upturned position when the pack is closed , the tab may be held folded back until the pack is closed to trap the tan in place . in a hinged - lid pack this would be by shutting the lid . the tab may be held folded back mechanically , or as described with reference to fig4 a short - term degradable adhesive may be provided on the upper surface of the tab to keep the tab turned up for as long as is necessary to complete the assembly of the pack . subsequently the short - term adhesive degrades , and a user can open the pack and find the tab upturned of the lamella . in a slide - shell pack the tab would be held mechanically by sliding the enclosure into the shell , and in a soft or semi - rigid pack by wrapping the enclosure in film . the tab will spring back to a certain extend when the pack is opened , but will still project in the manner indicated in fig1 . | 1 |
the foam tire insert of the invention can replace pneumatic tubes , especially in bicycles , although the insert can also be used in other applications where air - filled tubes or tires are used today . the insert is made through a foam construction technique using multiple layers of differing foam materials to yield a product that can emulate the feeling and performance of pressurized air in a tire and tube system , without significantly increasing the weight over an average thickness pneumatic tube . with such a construction technique with modern materials the need for pneumatic tubes can be eliminated for large classes of users . the insert can made as a one piece annular component at its least expensive embodiment . other embodiments can be arrived at by splitting the insert and mounting a clipping device at each end in order that the foam insert can be mounted without taking the wheel off of the bicycle . in addition , different quality level embodiments can be produced using different materials and different construction methods . this allows for different market segments by price and performance to be individually addressed . fig1 and 2 show cross sectional views of a compound ( multiple layer ) foam tire insert 10 according to one embodiment of the invention , in which the insert 10 is formed of a combination of two distinct types of plastic foams known as polymer foams . the core 1 of the insert 10 is formed of a stiff , structurally durable , lightweight foam material . the core 1 contributes to providing the long term structural integrity of the insert 10 , and also provides the strength and mass that will provide the foundation for the outer layer 2 to rest upon . an appropriate material for the core 1 of the insert 10 would be light weight , non - compressible , flexible material that is in the class of closed cell cross - linked ethylene copolymer foams , closed cell cross - linked polyethylene foam ( xlpe ) or other commercially available cross linked polyethylene foams . these materials help the insert 10 emulate the structural air pressure that a pneumatic system provides . the primary characteristics of this structure are light weight , less than 5 % compressibility , less than 1 % retained deformation under - load and after load relief , long term structural integrity , ease of handling and molding to high tolerances and low cost . the closed air cells in the structure help in emulating and providing the structural component of the system . the desired material characteristics of the material should allow the cell walls to be flexible enough to undergo some level of deformation while showing high retention of structural design after loading . the outer layer 2 is formed of a different foam material from the material in the core 1 , and is responsible for providing to the rider the feel and performance of a pneumatic tube system . the material of the outer layer 2 in this embodiment preferably has significant characteristics of energy return , wide temperature tolerance , shape retention , durability over time and the ability to be extruded in precision tolerances . preferably , the material of the outer layer 2 has the property that it does not become rigid in a range of temperatures between − 20 c and + 40 c , and has the durability to last for three or more years . an appropriate material for the outer layer 2 of the insert 10 would be a class of materials known as styrene - butadiene - styrene , or sbs . this substance is a hard rubber that &# 39 ; s used for things like the soles of shoes , tire treads , and other places where durability is important . it &# 39 ; s a type of copolymer called a block copolymer . its backbone chain is made up of three segments : a long chain of polystyrene , a long chain of polybutadiene , and another long section of polystyrene . sbs is also a type of unusual material called a thermoplastic elastomer ( tpe ). these are materials that behave like elastomeric rubbers at room temperature , but when heated , can be processed like plastics . most types of rubber are difficult to process because they are crosslinked . but sbs and other thermoplastic elastomers manage to be rubbery without being crosslinked , making them easy to process into useful shapes . the use of sbs as a component in the outer layer 2 of the insert 10 strongly assists the invention in emulating the resilience of the pneumatic structure . one specific type of sbs which is useful as an outer layer 2 in this embodiment is olefin block copolymer ( obc ), which are polyolefins with alternating blocks of hard ( highly rigid ) and soft ( highly elastomeric ) segments . the block structure of obcs offers an advantaged performance balance of flexibility and heat resistance compared to random polyolefin copolymers . this material also has the distinct advantage of retaining stable performance characteristics over wide ranges of temperatures insuring correct function in a wide range of environmental conditions . the outer layer 2 in this embodiment is applied evenly around the outside of the core 1 in a uniform thickness 3 which helps determine the performance characteristics of the product . by varying this dimension 3 , the emulation by the insert 10 of pressure and performance of a pneumatic tire tube can be determined . fig3 and 4 show cross sectional views of another embodiment of the insert 10 , in which the ratio of dimensions and location of the core and outer layer is varied to yield different performance characteristics . fig3 shows an alternative embodiment of the tire insert 30 , which might be used to emulate the feeling of a high pressure , high performance tire of lighter weight . in this embodiment , the core 31 is larger relative to the outer layer 32 , than the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 . the core 31 is offset toward the inner circumference 36 of the insert 30 so that the thickness 33 of the outer layer 32 nearest the inner circumference 36 is less than the thickness 34 of the outer layer 32 near the outer circumference 35 of the insert 30 . this provides a high ratio of stiff , light core material 31 vs a lower ratio of high density highly flexible material in the outer layer 32 . fig4 shows an alternative embodiment of the tire insert 40 , which might be used to emulate a lower air pressure tire , giving the rider more comfort and forgiveness . in this embodiment , the core 41 is smaller relative to the outer layer 42 , than the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 . as in the embodiment of fig3 , the core 41 is also offset toward the inner circumference 46 of the insert 40 so that the thickness 43 of the outer layer 42 nearest the inner circumference 46 is less than the thickness 44 of the outer layer 42 near the outer circumference 45 of the insert 40 . this provides a lower ratio of stiff , light core material 41 vs a higher ratio of high density highly flexible material in the outer layer 42 . this ratio of compounds will give a ride quality . the ratio , form and material characteristics of these two materials combined into a tubular structure determine the characteristics of the tire insert of the invention . these two materials can be used in many ratios and in many forms in the tubular insert to emulate the desirable characteristics of a pneumatically inflated tube in such a way as to accurately imitate different types and pressures of tire and tube systems at weights that are competitive with pneumatic systems . in order to emulate ( imitate ) the required pressures and performance of a pneumatic system in the multi - layer foam insert model three distinct factors must be considered . the first factor is the diameter of the cavity into which the foam insert must be inserted . this diameter is the equivalent space that is filled by the pneumatically inflated tube . the accurate measurement of this diameter , at the desired inflated pressure is key to insuring the correct fit and function of the multilayer foam insert . once this diameter is precisely measured and the pressure of the system defined then the design of the foam insert can begin . the second factor is modeling the foam structure to achieve the desired weight and pressure emulation of the system . every tire has a recommended pressure rating . the foam insert must be constructed in such a way that it emulates this required pressure . the core material of the foam insert structure is the determining element in achieving this desired pressure . this inner core material must also be formed from a material that has weight of below ( at least ) 20 kg per cubic meter of material . this weight parameter insures that the total structural weight will be acceptable to the consumer . this inner lightweight foam core “ backbone ” is key to the concept of a light weight high performance structure . additionally , the core material must offer a kpa high enough to emulate the pressure of the inflated tube . the formula to convert kpa to psi is 1 : 0 . 15 . one kpa is equivalent to 0 . 15 psi . table 1 , below , illustrates the levels of kpa and their corresponding psi . once the defined psi has been selected then the corresponding material with the correct kpa can be selected . the third factor to achieve the emulation of the required pressures and performance of a pneumatic system are the characteristics ( dynamic and kpa ) of the outer layer of the foam insert structure . this outer layer is critical to contributing to the foam structure a dynamic and functional aspect . without this outer layer , the feel and function of the complete wheel system will be “ dead ” or “ numb ”. the tire / wheel system will not perform properly and will not give the rider to the correct road surface performance / feedback . the thickness of this outer layer , in proportion , to the light weight inner foam core can be manipulated to achieve the desired final pressure and function of the system . within the family of sbs ( tpe ) of thermoplastic elastomers there are many parameters of performance that can be defined . these material parameters can be manipulated in order to achieve the best performance for a given end user &# 39 ; s purposes . the variations in thickness of the outer layer in combination with the almost limitless variations in material properties render the predictive modeling of structural performance problematic . in the end , physical prototyping with laboratory performance measurement will be the optimal method for determining the correct materials and ratios of circumferences of said materials to validate the correct structure of the product . fig5 represents a sectional view of a bicycle wheel in which the foam insert 10 is mounted on a rim 54 , within a tire 58 . a foam pad 55 is placed around the rim 54 in the cavity 53 of the rim 54 to support the tire insert 10 . the tire 58 has a sidewall 59 , which is held within the edges 56 of the rim 54 by a bead 57 , and has a tread 50 around an outer circumference 52 which is chemically and physically bonded to the tire 58 through the vulcanization process , as is conventional . the formation of the structure of the insert 10 can occur , for example , in two ways . the first method , shown in fig6 a - 6f is through the use of an extrusion process that is well known and highly employed globally to extrude polyethylene foams . step 1 : fig6 a : by the use of a screw extrusion machine 60 with the correct dimension die 61 a in place , the core 81 can be extruded . step 2 : fig6 b : by the use of a screw extrusion machine 60 with the correct dimension die 61 b in place , the outer layer 82 can be extruded . it should be noted that steps 1 and 2 could be performed in any order , and the lengths of core 81 and outer layer 82 can be made to length as needed , or long lengths can be made in advance in preparation for the succeeding steps described below , within the teachings of the invention . step 3 : fig6 c : the lighter weight , stiff core material 81 is inserted into the denser more flexible outer layer 82 , forming the combined insert 80 . optionally , an adhesive 84 can be applied to the outside of the core 81 or the inside of outer layer 82 , so as to provide adhesion between the core 81 and outer layer 82 . an appropriate adhesive 84 for this process would be , for example , a low temperature spray - able hot melt adhesive that is hand sprayed on the product manually and then assembled into a final structure . an example of a non - toxic adhesive which could be used is tec bond 420 sprayable hot melt adhesive from hotmelt . com . the extruded core 81 and outer layer 82 , optionally connected by adhesive 84 , will form the structure of the length of insert 80 . step 4 : fig6 d : if the insert 80 was formed from long lengths of core 81 and outer layer 82 material , as noted in step 2 above , the combined insert 80 is cut to the length 62 corresponding to the desired circumference of the finished tire insert 65 . alternatively , if the core 81 and outer layer 82 were formed to exact length 62 in steps 1 and 2 before being combined in step 3 , this step can be omitted . step 5 : fig6 e : adhesive 64 is applied to both ends 63 of the insert 80 . an appropriate adhesive 64 for this process would be , for example , a tape that is made with acrylic foam which is viscoelastic in nature . this gives the foam energy absorbing and stress relaxing properties which provides these tapes with their unique characteristics . the acrylic chemistry provides outstanding durability performance . these tapes utilize a variety of specific foam , adhesive , color and release liner types to provide each product / family with specific features . these features can include adhesion to specific or a broad range of materials , conformability , high tensile strength , high shear and peel adhesion , resistance to plasticizer migration , and ul746c recognition . step 6 : fig6 f : the ends 63 of the insert 80 are joined , forming a completed tubular tire insert 65 that is ready for use in a tire system . the second method is uses a co - extrusion process using an extrusion machine 70 with compound die 73 , which is less well known to extrude polyethylene foams . this method , shown in fig7 a - 7d comprises the following steps : step 1 : fig7 a : load the material for the core 81 and outer layer 82 into separate feed hoppers 71 and 72 in the extrusion machine 70 , such that the two materials enter the extrusion machine 70 at the same time . step 2 : fig7 b : operate the extrusion machine 70 with the compound die 73 in place , thereby simultaneously extruding the inner core 81 and the outer layer 82 from the compound die 73 as a length of a complete tubular insert 80 . it should be noted that the insert 80 can be made to length as needed , or long lengths can be made in advance in preparation for the succeeding steps described below , within the teachings of the invention . step 3 : fig7 c : if the insert 80 was formed as a long length of material , as noted in step 2 above , the insert 80 is cut to the length 74 corresponding to the desired circumference of the finished tire insert 78 . alternatively , if the insert 80 was formed to exact length 74 in step 2 , this step can be omitted . step 4 : fig7 d : adhesive 76 is applied to both ends 77 of the insert 80 . an appropriate adhesive 76 for this process would be , for example , a tape that is made with acrylic foam which is viscoelastic in nature . this gives the foam energy absorbing and stress relaxing properties which provides these tapes with their unique characteristics . the acrylic chemistry provides outstanding durability performance . these tapes utilize a variety of specific foam , adhesive , color and release liner types to provide each product / family with specific features . these features can include adhesion to specific or a broad range of materials , conformability , high tensile strength , high shear and peel adhesion , resistance to plasticizer migration , and ul746c recognition . step 5 : fig7 e : the ends 77 of the insert 80 are joined , forming a completed tubular tire insert 78 that is ready for use in a tire system . accordingly , it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention . reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims , which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention . | 1 |
the present invention will be described in detail in conjunction with what is presently considered as preferred or typical embodiments thereof by reference to the drawings . in the following description , like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views . also in the following description , it is to be understood that such terms as “ top ”, “ bottom ”, “ front ”, “ rear ” and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms . now , description will be made of the heat generation type flow sensor according to a first embodiment of the present invention by reference to fig1 . [ 0043 ] fig1 is a top plan view showing a flow rate detecting element 1 of the heat generation type flow sensor according to the first embodiment of the invention , and fig2 is a sectional view of the same taken along a line a - a shown in fig1 . referring to fig1 and 2 , description will firstly be directed to the structure of the flow rate detecting element 1 . formed on the top surface of a silicon substrate 20 of a substantially rectangular shape are a first insulation layer 12 a and a second insulation layer 12 b in a laminated structure . each of these layers 12 a and 12 b is formed of a dielectric film such as of silicon oxide ( e . g . sio 2 ), silicon nitride ( e . g . sin ) or the like . a pair of cavities 11 a and 11 b are formed on the rear surface of the silicon substrate 20 with a predetermined distance therebetween in the longitudinal direction by removing partially or locally the material from the silicon substrate 20 by an etching process in such a manner that first and second diaphragms 10 a and 10 b formed of the first and second insulation layers 12 a and 12 b , respectively , are disposed at the top sides of the cavities 11 a and 11 b , respectively . in the region of the first diaphragm 10 a , a heat generating resistor 2 formed of platinum ( pt ), nickel ( ni ) or the like and having resistance value which exhibits temperature dependency is disposed between the first and second insulation layers 12 a and 12 b . similarly , in the region of the second diaphragm 10 b , a fluid temperature detecting resistor 7 formed of the resistance film of a same material as the heat generating resistor 2 and destined for measuring the temperature of the fluid is provided between the first and second insulation layers 12 a and 12 b . both ends of the heat generating resistor 2 are electrically connected to bonding pads 30 a and 30 g , respectively , by wiring conductors 8 . similarly , both ends of the fluid temperature detecting resistor 7 are electrically connected to bonding pads 30 b and 30 e , respectively . next , description will turn to a process of manufacturing the flow rate detecting element 1 . at first , a metallic resistance film is formed on the insulation layer 12 a deposited as a base layer on the silicon substrate 20 through a film deposition process such as sputtering or vapor deposition or evaporation or the like of platinum ( pt ), nickel ( ni ) or the like whose resistance value exhibits temperature dependency . subsequently , the metallic resistance film is subjected to a patterning through a photomechanical process so that the metallic resistance film is imparted with a desired shape or pattern and a desired resistance value . thereafter , the insulation layer 12 b is formed as a protection film to cover wholly the insulation layer 12 a inclusive of the patterned metallic resistance film . in succession , the bonding pads 30 a , 30 b , 30 e and 30 g are formed . finally , the diaphragms 10 a and 10 b are formed by etching partially the silicon substrate 20 from the rear side thereof by using the insulation layer 12 a as a mask so that no part of the substrate 20 can remain on the rear surface of the heat generating resistor 2 and the peripheral portion thereof . [ 0045 ] fig3 is a top plan view showing a mounting or packaging structure of the flow rate detecting element 1 on the supporting member 13 , fig4 is a sectional view of the same taken along a line b - b shown in fig3 and fig5 is a sectional view of the same taken along a line a - a shown in fig3 . as can be seen in fig3 the flow rate detecting element 1 is mounted on the supporting member 13 in such disposition that the one or front surface of the diaphragm is placed directly in contact with the flow of a fluid medium for measurement and that the fluid medium is difficult to flow into a region extending adjacent to the other or rear surface of the diaphragm . the bonding pads 30 a , 30 b , 30 e and 30 g of the flow rate detecting element 1 are electrically connected to lead frames 17 by means of bonding wires 16 , respectively . the lead frames 17 in turn are connected to an external circuit ( not shown ). the bonding wires 16 and peripheral portion therearound are protected against external influence by means of a cap member 18 , wherein the interior defined by the cap member 18 is filled with a gel 19 so that the bond is covered thereby . as shown in fig5 the supporting member 13 presents such a sectional shape which approximates a stream - line shape so that destratification does not occur in the layer of fluid flowing along the surface of the supporting member 13 . further , the flow rate detecting element 1 is buried in the supporting member 13 so that the exposed surfaces thereof lie flush with the surfaces of the diaphragms 10 a and 10 b . as mentioned previously , the cavities 11 a and 11 b are formed in the rear surfaces of the diaphragms 10 a and 10 b , respectively , whereby heat insulation can be realized between the supporting member 13 on one hand and heat generating resistors 2 of the diaphragms 10 a and 10 b and the fluid temperature detecting resistor 7 on the other hand . the heat generating resistor 2 is constantly so controlled that the heat generating resistor 2 is always at a temperature which is higher by a predetermined temperature value than the temperature of the fluid medium or air the flow rate of which is to be measured by the fluid temperature detecting resistor 7 . in other words , the heat generating resistor 2 is subjected to , so to say , a constant temperature - difference control . to this end , a driving or detecting circuit is provided . fig6 is a circuit diagram showing schematically the driving or detecting circuit . referring to fig6 a bridge circuit is constituted by the heat generating resistor 2 , the fluid temperature detecting resistor 7 and a plurality of fixed resistors 22 to 25 , wherein these circuit components are connected with differential amplifiers 41 and 42 and a transistor 43 in a circuit configuration as shown in fig6 . in this bridge circuit , resistance value rh of the heat generating resistor 2 is given by the undermentioned expressions in which the reference numerals designating the resistors shown in fig6 correspond , respectively , to the scripts affixed to “ r ”. rh = ( r7 + r24 ) ( r22 + r23 ) r21 / { r23 · r25 - r21 ( r7 + r24 ) } ( 1 ) ≈ ( r7 + r24 ) ( r22 + r23 ) r21 / ( r23 · r5 ) ( 2 ) when the state of the bridge circuit becomes unbalanced due to change of the temperature of the heat generating resistor 2 as brought about by variation of the flow rate of the fluid medium or air and / or change of the temperature of the fluid temperature detecting resistor 7 brought about by the change of the temperature of the air , the heating current flowing through the heat generating resistor 2 is controlled through cooperation of the differential amplifiers 41 and 42 and the transistor 43 so that the balanced state of the bridge circuit is restored . as a result of this , the heat generating resistor 2 can always assume the resistance value given by the above expressions ( 1 ) and ( 2 ), whereby the difference in temperature between the heat generating resistor 2 and the fluid temperature detecting resistor 7 is sustained to be constant . in this state , the quantity or rate hf of heat transfer from the heat generating resistor 2 to the air is given by the following expression : δt represents the temperature difference between the heat generating resistor 5 and the flow of the fluid medium or air , and on the other hand , joule heat w generated by the heat generating resistor 2 is given by the following expression : rh represents the resistance value of the heat generating resistor 2 , and ih represents the electric current flowing through the heat generating resistor 2 . in the steady state , the heat transfer rate hf given by the expression ( 3 ) and the joule heat w given by the expression ( 4 ) are equal to each other . accordingly , the following expression holds true . since the heat transfer coefficient h can be expressed in terms of a function of mass flow rate qm of the air , it is possible to detect the air flow rate q by detecting the heating current ih . in practical applications , however , the heat quantity transferred to the flow of the fluid medium or air from the heat generating resistor 2 is a part of the joule heat w . besides , loss due to heat conduction from the heat generating resistor 2 to the silicon substrate 20 and the cavity 11 a will take place . thus , the actual heating current is represented by the following expression : ps represents the heat loss due to the heat conduction to the silicon substrate 20 , and pc represents the heat loss due to the heat conduction to the cavity 11 a . as the proportions of the heat conduction losses ps and pc increase as compared with the heat transfer loss pf (= h · s · δt ), the flow dependency of the heating current ih decreases with the sensitivity of the flow sensor being lowered . accordingly , in order to improve the flow sensitivity , the size of the heat generating resistor 2 formed on the diaphragm 10 a must be optimized with the ratio between the heat transfer loss pf and the heat conduction loss ( ps + pc ) being set as large as possible . now , referring to fig1 the width of the diaphragm 10 a is represented by xd , the length of the diaphragms 10 a in the longitudinal direction orthogonal to the flow direction is represented by yd , and the thickness of the diaphragm 10 a is represented by t . stress induced in the diaphragm 10 a under the action of pressure difference between the top ( exposed ) surface and the bottom ( rear ) surface thereof becomes maximum at edge portion of the diaphragm . further , on the condition that the length yd is at least double the width xd and that xd / t is constant , such characteristics make appearance that the maximum bending stress scarcely changes even when the diaphragm size changes . [ 0068 ] fig7 is a view showing graphically and schematically relations between the heat losses from the heat generating resistor 2 on one hand and the ratio of the width xh of the heat generating resistor 2 to the width xd of the diaphragm 10 a ( xh / xd ) on the other hand . in the figure in which the width ratio xh / xd is taken along the abscissa with the heat losses from the heat generating resistor 2 being taken along the ordinate , a solid line curve 45 represents the heat loss due to heat conduction from the heat generating resistor 2 to the silicon substrate 20 , a broken line curve 46 represents a sum of the heat loss due to the heat transfer from the heat generating resistor 2 to the flow of the fluid medium such as air and the heat loss due to the heat conduction from the heat generating resistor 2 to the cavity 11 a . both the heat loss due to the heat transfer from the heat generating resistor 2 to the flow of the fluid medium and the heat loss due to the heat conduction to the cavity 11 a from the heat generating resistor 2 increase in proportion to the increase of the area of the heat generating resistor 2 , whereas the heat loss due to the heat conduction to the silicon substrate 20 from the heat generating resistor 2 increases steeply as the ratio xh / xd increases . consequently , a single - dotted broken line curve 47 representing the ratio between the heat transfer loss and the heat conduction loss shows characteristically that this ratio becomes maximum at the width ratio xh / xd of “ 0 . 5 ”. [ 0069 ] fig8 is a view showing schematically a relation between the ratio of the heat transfer loss to the heat conduction loss on one hand and the ratio of the width of the heat generating resistor to the width of the diaphragm ( xh / xd ) on the other hand as a function of the size of the diaphragm in a range of minimum flow rate . in the figure , a solid line curve 50 represents the ratio of the heat losses when the width of the diaphragm is 300 μmm ( 0 . 3 mm ). similarly , a broken line curve 51 represents the ratio of the heat losses in the case where the diaphragm width is 600 μmm ( 0 . 6 mm ), and a single - dotted broken line curve 52 represents the ratio of the heat losses in the case where the diaphragm width is 900 μmm ( 0 . 9 mm ), respectively . however , in any case , the length yd of the diaphragm 10 a is twice as long as the width xd thereof with the ratio of the width of the diaphragm to the thickness thereof is constant at the value of “ 100 ”. as will now be appreciated , the maximum sensitivity can be realized by setting the ratio of the width of the heat generating resistor to that of the diaphragm at a value falling within a range of “ 0 . 4 ” to “ 0 . 6 ” inclusive on the precondition that the mechanical strength of the diaphragm is sustained to be constant . in this conjunction , it is noted that the sensitivity can certainly be increased by increasing the size of the diaphragm . however , in that case , the responsitivity of the sensor becomes degraded more or less . accordingly , it is important to optimize the size of the heat generating resistor while determining the size of the diaphragm so as to lie within a range allowable from the standpoint of the response characteristics of the flow rate detecting element . [ 0070 ] fig9 is a view showing graphically flow characteristics when the flow rate detecting element in which the diaphragms conforming to the characteristics curves 50 , 51 and 52 and satisfying the size requirement that xh / xd = 0 . 5 are employed , respectively . parenthetically , in fig9 the output signal of the flow rate detecting element taken along the ordinate is normalized on the precondition that the output for the minimum flow rate is “ 1 ”. as can be seen in fig9 the flow rate detecting element exhibits the flow sensitivity which increases as the ratio of the heat transfer loss to the heat conduction loss increases . at this juncture , it should also be mentioned that the relation between the ratio of the length yh of the heat generating resistor to the length yd of the diaphragm and the flow sensitivity exhibits the characteristic similar to the ratio of the length yh of the heat generating resistor to the width of the diaphragm . it has experimentally been established that the maximum sensitivity can be obtained when the ratio of the length of the heat generating resistor to the length of the diaphragm falls within a range from 0 . 4 to 0 . 6 inclusive . as will now be appreciated from the foregoing description , with the structure of the flow rate detecting element according to the first embodiment of the present invention in which the ratio of the width of the diaphragm 10 a to the length thereof is selected to be at least “ 2 ” and in which the ratios of the width and the length of the heat generating resistor 2 to the width and the length of the diaphragm 10 a , respectively , are selected to fall within the range of 0 . 4 to 0 . 6 inclusive , there can be realized the flow rate detecting element of the structure which is optimal in respect to both of the mechanical strength and the sensitivity . [ 0073 ] fig1 is a top plan view of a flow rate detecting element 1 a according to a second embodiment of the present invention . as will readily be appreciated from this figure , the structure of the flow rate detecting element 1 a according to the second embodiment of the invention is substantially same as that of the flow rate detecting element 1 described hereinbefore in conjunction with the first embodiment of the invention except that a generated - heat - ascribable temperature detecting resistor 4 is additionally provided for detecting a mean temperature of the heat generating resistor 2 in the flow rate detecting element denoted generally by 1 a . incidentally , in fig1 , items same as or equivalent to those described hereinbefore in conjunction with the first embodiment of the invention are denoted by like reference symbols . the generated - heat - ascribable temperature detecting resistor 4 is disposed closely to the heat generating resistor 2 and patterned so that the former is substantially at a same temperature as the heat generating resistor 2 and provided between the insulation layers 12 a and 12 b constituting parts of the diaphragm 10 a ( see fig2 ) as in the case of the heat generating resistor 2 . the generated - heat - ascribable temperature detecting resistor 4 electrically connected to a driving or detecting circuit similar to that described previously by way of bonding pads 30 h and 30 i . the width of the heat generating resistor 2 is selected to be about a half ( or 0 . 5 ) of the width of the diaphragm with the length of the heat generating resistor 2 being also selected to be about a half ( 0 . 5 ) of the length of the diaphragm . the method of manufacturing the flow rate detecting element 1 a as well as the method of mounting or packaging the flow rate detecting element 1 a is same as those described hereinbefore in conjunction with the first embodiment . the generated - heat - ascribable temperature detecting resistor 4 is so controlled that it is always at a temperature which is higher by a predetermined value than the temperature of the fluid medium or air which is measured by the fluid temperature detecting resistor 7 . in other words , the generated - heat - ascribable temperature detecting resistor 4 is subjected to a constant temperature - difference control , so to say . to this end , a driving circuit is provided . fig1 is a circuit diagram showing schematically the driving circuit . referring to fig1 , the driving circuit is comprised of a series connection of the fluid temperature detecting resistor 7 and the fixed resistors 24 and 25 inserted between the voltage source and the ground and a series connection of the generated - heat - ascribable temperature detecting resistor 4 and the fixed resistor 22 inserted between the voltage source and the ground , wherein a junction between the fixed resistors 24 and 25 is connected to one input terminal of a differential amplifier 41 while a junction between the generated - heat - ascribable temperature detecting resistor 4 and the fixed resistor 22 is connected to the other input terminal of the differential amplifier 41 . the output terminal of the differential amplifier 41 is connected to a base electrode of a transistor 43 whose emitter is connected to the voltage source with the collector thereof being connected to the ground by way of resistors 2 and 21 , wherein a tap is led out from a junction between the resistors 2 and 21 . with the structure of the flow rate detecting element described above , the heating current flowing through the heat generating resistor 2 is detected in terms of a corresponding voltage making appearance across the resistor 21 . in this way , the flow rate can be measured . in the flow rate detecting element according to the instant embodiment of the invention , the relations between the sensitivity on one hand and the sizes of the diaphragm and the heat generating resistor on the other hand are utterly same as those described hereinbefore in conjunction with the first embodiment of the present invention . more specifically , by sizing the diaphragm 10 so that the ratio of the width to the length thereof is at least “ 2 ” and that ratios of the width and the length of the heat generating resistor 2 to those of the diaphragm , respectively , range from 0 . 4 to 0 . 6 inclusive , there can be implemented the structure of the flow rate detecting element which is optimal in respect to both the mechanical strength and the sensitivity . many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above techniques . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described . | 6 |
fig5 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a backlight control circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in the figure , the backlight control circuit 30 according to this embodiment comprises a plurality of current matching circuits cm 1 - cmn , whose function is to match the currents at their respective paths with one another . the term “ to match currents ” as used in this specification means “ to keep the currents in a constant ratio ”, and in most cases the currents are kept the same or similar . each of the current matching circuits cm 1 - cmn has a circuit structure very similar to that of a current source , but it is referred to as a “ current matching circuit ” in this specification because it can not actually decide the current amount in its path ; it can only decide the ratio between paths . the current amount in each and all of the paths is primarily controlled by a total current setting circuit 35 . as shown in the figure , the current matching circuits cm 1 - cmn are all connected to a common node nd , which is connected to ground via the total current setting circuit 35 . the total current setting circuit 35 serves to set the current i total and keeps it . if the backlight control circuit 30 is an integrated circuit , the total current setting circuit 35 can be located partially or all in the outside of the integrated circuit and connected with the integrated circuit through a pin p so that the current setting can be performed externally . of course , if the current i total needs not be adjusted after setting , the total current setting circuit 35 can be located all inside the integrated circuit . in one embodiment , the total current setting circuit 35 can simply be a common resistor rset , as shown in fig6 . the function of the common resistor rset can be understood more clearly from fig7 a and the following description . the current matching circuits are made of field effect transistors in fig7 a . as shown in the figure , the current matching circuit cm 1 includes a common operative amplifier opa , a transistor q 1 , and a resistor r 1 ; the current matching circuit cm 2 includes the common operative amplifier opa , a transistor q 2 , and a resistor r 2 ; and so on . the resistors r 1 - rn of the current matching circuits are all connected to the common node nd , and the common node nd is connected to the common resistor rset . by virtue of the operative amplifier opa , the voltage at the node nd will be balanced at the level of the reference voltage vb , and thus the current i total passing through the common resistor rset will be kept at a constant (= vb / rset ). for convenience , let us assume the currents flowing to the paths 111 - 11 n are ignorable . thus , the current i total flowing through the common resistor rset is the total of currents flowing through all of the led paths 101 - 10 n , that is , i total = i 101 + i 102 + i 103 + . . . + i 10n and in the case where the leds are operating under the maximum brightness , the brightness of each led is proportional to the current amount on each of the paths 101 - 10 n . when anyone or more of the paths 101 - 10 n are inoperative , for example when the path 101 is open , i 101 becomes zero , so however , the total current i total is a constant (= vb / rset ), so the currents on the other paths 102 - 10 n increase , and the brightness of the leds in the paths 102 - 10 n correspondingly increase to compensate the lost brightness of the leds in the path 101 . the overall brightness is thus compensated . preferably , the currents i 101 - i 10n on the paths 101 - 10 n are equal to each other , but the leds and the resistors r 1 - rn may be different from one another due to manufacture deviations , causing deviations of the currents i 101 - i 10n ; this does not affect the effect of the present invention , however . the current matching circuits can be made of bipolar transistors , as shown in fig7 b . the circuit functions in a similar way to that in fig7 a ; the details of its operation are not redundantly repeated here . in fact , the resistors r 1 - rn in the current matching circuits cm 1 - cmn are not absolutely necessary . as shown in fig7 c , these resistors r 1 - rn can be omitted , and the current matching among the paths can be achieved by layout and matching design of the transistors in the current matching circuits cm 1 - cmn . the common resistor rset in the foregoing embodiments is provided for setting and adjusting the current i total from outside of the circuit . for the basic spirit “ to automatically compensate the overall brightness ”, it is sufficient as long as the current i total is set to be a constant . hence , the total current setting circuit 35 does not have to be a common resistor rset , but instead can be any other device . for example , as shown in fig8 , the total current can be controlled by a total control current source cs total . furthermore , as shown in fig9 , the current matching circuits cm 1 - cmn can be replaced by corresponding resistors in the led paths 101 - 10 n , for rough current matching . in this embodiment the currents on the led paths 101 - 10 n are not precisely equal to one another , but the circuit structure is simpler . fig1 shows a more detailed structure of the circuit of fig9 , in which the total control current source cs total is composed of a transistor qcs , an operative amplifier opacs , and a resistor rcs . if it is desired to set and adjust the total current from outside of the circuit , the resistor rcs can be located at the outside of the integrated circuit ( thus the total control current source cs total is partially located outside of the integrated circuit ). the transistor qcs is shown as a field effect transistor , but can be replaced by a bipolar transistor . from the above description , it can be seen that the idea of the present invention is to set the total current i total to be a constant . all equivalent ways achieving such effect should belong to the scope of the present invention . in the present invention , when one of the led paths is inoperative , the brightness of the leds in the other led paths increases to compensate the lost brightness . hence , the original brightness of each led should not be set to the maximum brightness . the original brightness of each led can be set as ( n − 1 )/ n , ( n − 2 )/ n , . . . , or ( n − m )/ n of the maximum brightness , wherein n is the number of original led paths , 1 ≦ m ≦( n − 1 ), and m is a positive integer . furthermore , as shown in fig1 , to avoid perceivable darkness on the lcd screen when one of the led paths is inoperative , the led array 40 is preferably arranged in such a manner that the neighboring leds are allocated to different led paths . thus , when one of the led paths is inoperative , the overall brightness of the screen is kept uniform . fig1 only shows one among many possible arrangements to this end , and there are numerous variations to allocate the leds under the same spirit . and as stated above , the total current setting circuit 35 needs not be located outside of the integrated circuit . moreover , as shown in fig1 , the backlight control circuit 30 can further comprise under current detection ( ucd ) circuits 31 - 3 n . the ucd circuits 31 - 3 n detect the current conditions on the led paths 101 - 10 n to determine whether an under current condition , i . e ., a “ no current ” or “ very low current ” condition , occurs in any of the paths . when “ no current ” or “ very low current ” condition does not occur , the voltage signals on the led paths 101 - 10 n pass through the ucd circuits 31 - 3 n to the corresponding voltage comparison paths 111 - 11 n , so that the lowest voltage comparison and amplifier circuit 21 receives those signals . when anyone or more led paths 101 - 10 n have no current or very low current , the ucd circuits 31 - 3 n exclude the corresponding one or more voltage comparison paths 111 - 11 n so that they are not valid inputs to the lowest voltage comparison and amplifier circuit 21 , that is , the lowest voltage comparison and amplifier circuit 21 does not accept signals on these invalid voltage comparison paths 111 - 11 n . by means of the ucd circuits 31 - 3 n , if anyone of the led paths 101 - 10 n is open or floating , the corresponding ucd circuits 31 - 3 n will cut off the corresponding paths 111 - 11 n . for example , if the led path 101 is open , because the path 111 is cut off , the lowest voltage selection circuit 21 will select the one with the lowest voltage only from the paths 112 - 11 n and input the selected one to the error amplifier circuit 13 . although the leds in the path 101 can not function , the voltage supply circuit 11 can still supply proper voltage to the rest of the operating leds ; the voltage supply circuit 11 will not increase the output voltage vout unlimitedly to burn out the circuit . furthermore , when the number of pins to be connected with led paths is more than required , the excess pins can be simply floating or grounded ; such arrangement does not consume power , nor do the devices connected with the pins have to be high voltage devices . in addition , if it is desired to ensure proper initialization of the backlight control circuit 30 , a start - up circuit or a logic circuit may be provided in the backlight control circuit 30 . for details of the ucd circuits , start - up circuit or logic circuit , please refer to the co - pending patent application filed by the same assignee under the same title , on the same filing date . practically , in one embodiment , the lowest voltage selection circuit 21 in fig5 , 6 , 8 and 12 can be integrated with the error amplifier 13 to become one “ lowest voltage comparison and amplifier circuit ” 25 , as shown in fig1 a . two examples of such lowest voltage comparison and amplifier circuit 25 are shown in fig1 b ( wherein only the input stage is shown ; the circuit can be connected with another circuit stage to amplify the output ) and fig1 c . the lowest voltage comparison and amplifier circuit 25 can be made of devices other than mosfets , such as of bipolar transistors or junction fets . it is also doable to separate the error amplifier 13 from the lowest voltage comparison and amplifier circuit 25 . all such variations should belong to the scope of the present invention . in addition to the above , the reference voltage vref of the lowest voltage comparison and amplifier circuit 25 does not have to be a constant , but instead can be a variable ; the variable reference voltage vref is preferably a function of the voltages extracted from the paths 101 - 10 n . for example , as shown in fig1 a and 14b wherein the lowest voltage comparison and amplifier circuit 25 is replaced by a high - low voltage comparison and amplifier circuit 29 . in the high - low voltage comparison and amplifier circuit 29 , the other input of the error amplifier 13 is the output of the highest voltage selection circuit 22 instead of the reference voltage vref ; the control signal 15 is generated according to the comparison result between the highest voltage and the lowest voltage . for details of the high - low voltage comparison and amplifier circuit , please refer to another co - pending patent application filed by the same assignee on the same filing date , also titled “ backlight control circuit ”. although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments , these embodiments are for illustrative purpose and not for limiting the scope of the present invention . other variations and modifications are possible . for example , in all of the embodiments , one can insert a circuit which does not affect the primary function , such as a delay circuit , between any two devices which are shown to be directly connected . in the embodiments , all the current matching circuits are connected to one common node nd , but it can be arranged such that only some of the current matching circuits are connected to one common node , or , several common nodes and several common resistors are provided and the current matching circuits are grouped and each group of current matching circuits are connected to one of the nodes . the backlight control circuit 30 is shown to be one integrated circuit , but it can be divided into several integrated circuits , or integrated with other circuit functions . the present invention is not only applicable to series - parallel connection circuits , but also to all - in - parallel circuits . the light emitting device , although shown as led in the above , are not limited thereto but can be other light emitting devices such as an organic light emitting diode . and the word “ backlight ” in the term “ backlight control circuit ” is not to be taken in a narrow sense that the circuit has to control the backlight of a screen ; the present invention can be applied to “ active light emission display ”, or “ led illuminator ”, or other apparatuses that employ light emitting devices . therefore , all modifications and variations based on the spirit of the present invention should be interpreted to fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents . | 7 |
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . fig1 and 2 illustrate device test handlers in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 and 2 , there is a loading part 10 on one side of a front portion of a base 1 of the device test handler . a stack of trays 11 , having devices to be tested placed therein , are placed on the loading part 10 . a stack of trays 21 for holding good devices , classified as a result of testing , are placed on one side of the loading part 10 . a stack of trays 22 for holding devices to be re - tested are placed on the other side of the loading part 10 . there are also a plurality of trays 23 on the other side of the front portion of the base 1 for holding defective devices according to class of defect degrees . the trays 21 for holding good devices , the trays 22 for holding devices to be re - tested , and the trays 23 for holding the defective devices comprise an unloading part 20 . the trays in the loading part 10 and the unloading part 20 are movable on the base 1 in front and rear directions , as indicated by the arrows in fig1 . a plurality of shuttles , each of which is configured to hold a plurality of logic devices , move around the test handler in a loop . the shuttles transport the logic devices into and out of a test chamber 60 . logic devices to be tested are transferred to a loading shuttle 51 when it is located at a central portion of the base 1 , as shown in fig1 . the loading shuttle is divided into a plurality of cells for receiving the devices transported from the input tray 11 in the loading part 10 . a guide frame 31 in the middle of the base 1 crosses over the base 1 . a loading picker 32 , a first unloading picker 33 , and a second unloading picker 34 are movably fitted on the frame 31 . the loading picker 32 and the second unloading picker 34 are fitted on the same face of the guide frame 31 . the range of movements the loading picker 32 and the second unloading picker 34 are not overlapped . the loading picker 32 transports the devices from the input tray 11 to the loading shuttle 51 . the first and second unloading pickers 33 and 34 transport the devices from a shuttle that has left the test chamber 60 onto respective trays 21 , 22 , and 23 in the unloading part 20 . on the front portion of the base 1 there is a pre - heating part 40 which includes a heating plate 41 for pre - heating the devices on the loading shuttles 51 as the loading shuttles 51 filled with the devices are transported along the pre - heating part 40 . a transfer device 42 is used to move the loading shuttles 51 along the heating plate 41 . preferably , the heating plate 41 is operative electrically for easy temperature control . the heating plate 41 in the pre - heating part 40 may extend rearward up to a test chamber 60 in which the devices are tested . the loading shuttle 51 passes through the pre - heating part 40 and inside the test chamber 60 . when no pre - heating of the devices on the loading shuttles 51 is required , a bypass transfer mechanism 45 can be used to move a loading shuttle directly across the pre - heating part 40 and into a path leading to the test chamber . in this instance , the loading shuttle does not travel along all the path of the pre - heating part 40 , but rather through a shortened bypass path , thus reducing the test time . the test chamber 60 is substantially an enclosed space for maintaining an environmental temperature of the devices in a fixed state when the devices are tested . the devices could be tested at a temperature that is elevated or lowered relative to room temperature . in the test chamber 60 , there are test sockets 61 , each of which is configured to hold and test a logic device . there could be one or a plurality of such test sockets 61 on any given machine embodying the invention . unloading shuttles 55 are located on one side of the test sockets , each for receiving and holding the devices tested at the test sockets 61 . an indexing device is used for successive transferring and loading of devices to be tested from the loading shuttle 51 to the test socket 61 , and for transporting the tested devices from the test socket 61 to the unloading shuttle 55 . a gas supply duct 63 is used for supplying hot or cool gas to the test socket 61 when the devices are tested in a hot or cold state . the shuttles are movable in the test chamber 60 so that after the devices to be tested are emptied from one of the shuttles , the shuttle can move behind the test sockets , and around to the other side of the test socket to an unloading portion so that the shuttle can then act as an unloading shuttle 55 . once an unloading shuttle 55 has been filled with tested devices , it is moved out of the test chamber 60 to a position of the guide frame 31 in the middle of the base 1 . a buffer part 71 , located in front of the test chamber 60 , is used for temporary storage of devices classified as being defective . defective devices are transported from an unloading shuttle 55 to the buffer part 71 by the first unloading picker 33 . the buffer part 71 can then move forward to a position aligned with the second unloading picker 34 . the second unloading picker 34 can then transfer the defective devices to one of the defective device output trays 23 . if there is more than one classification of defective devices , the separate classifications could be stored in different defective output trays . there is a tray transfer device 80 in a rear portion of the base 1 for distributing empty trays 11 from the loading part 10 in either direction so that the empty trays 11 can be used as the trays 21 for loading good devices and the trays 22 for loading the devices to be re - tested . the operation of the device test handler in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained . when the device test handler is put into operation after the loading part is stacked with trays 11 that contain devices to be tested , a tray 11 from the loading part 10 is transported toward the rear of the base to a position in front of the guide frame 31 in the middle of the base 1 . the loading picker 32 on the guide frame 31 transfers the devices from the tray 11 to one or more of loading shuttles 51 . once all the devices have been transferred to loading the shuttle 51 , the tray 11 is transferred to the tray transfer 80 device at a rear portion of the base . the loading shuttle 51 , which is now full of the logic devices , is transferred to the heating plate 41 in the pre - heating part 40 or directly over a rear portion of the pre - heating part 40 via the bypass mechanism 45 . the loading shuttle 51 is ultimately transported to the test chamber 60 in the rear portion of the base 1 . once the loading shuttle 51 is inside the test chamber 60 , the devices in the loading shuttle 51 are loaded into the test sockets 61 continuously by the indexing device in the test chamber 60 . the devices are then tested , and the tested devices are loaded on an unloading shuttle 55 positioned opposite to the loading shuttle 51 by the indexing device . once an unloading shuttle 55 is fully loaded with tested devices , the unloading shuttle 55 is moved out of the test chamber 60 through a front thereof to beneath the guide frame 31 . then , the first unloading picker 33 on the guide frame 31 transfers the devices from the unloading shuttle 55 to respective trays 21 , 22 , and 23 according to the classifications assigned to the devices during the testing . the devices determined to be good are loaded on the tray 21 for good devices , and the devices determined to require re - test are loaded on the tray 22 for devices to be re - tested . the devices determined defective are temporarily loaded on the buffer part 71 . the buffer part 71 then moves to an opposite side of the guide frame 31 , so that it is aligned with the second unloading picker 34 . the second unloading picker then transfers the defective devices from the buffer part 71 to the tray 23 for defective devices . because multiple separate trays for defective devices are available , the defective devices can be classified into different categories . the defective device trays can move backward and forward so that the second unloading picker 34 can load the defective devices into the appropriate defective device tray according to the classification assigned during testing . upon completion of testing of all of the devices in the loading part 10 , testing of the devices in the tray 22 for devices to be re - tested is carried out automatically . the retest tray 22 in the front portion of the base 1 is moved backward up to a position of the tray transfer device 80 , and the tray is shifted to a position aligned with the loading part 10 . the tray is then moved forward to a space under the guide frame 31 , and is advanced step by step as the devices are transferred to loading shuttles 51 by the loading picker 32 . the testing process thereafter is identical to the aforementioned process , and upon completion of unloading and test for all of the devices in the retest tray 22 , the process is completed . [ 0046 ] fig3 illustrates a perspective view of an indexing device 62 embodying the invention that can be used in the device test handler . the front , right transferring mechanism that is used to move the second index head 604 has been omitted from fig3 for purposes of clarity . referring to fig3 when the loading shuttle 51 enters into the test chamber 60 and is positioned at a test loading position , the loading shuttle 51 , the test socket 61 , and the unloading shuttle 55 are arranged on a line , with the test socket 61 positioned lower than the loading shuttle 51 and the unloading shuttle 55 . the loading shuttle 51 and the unloading shuttle 55 move step by step at fixed intervals as the devices thereon are picked up / placed . there are a pair of opposing frames 601 located over the test sockets ( note : the second frame for holding and moving the second index head 604 has been omitted from fig3 ). the frames 601 extend in the same direction ( hereafter called as ‘ x - axis direction ’) in which the loading shuttle 51 , the test socket 61 and the unloading shuttle 55 are aligned . a first index head 602 and a second index head 604 are located between the pair of frames 601 , and the indexing heads are movable in the x and y axes . the first and second indexing heads repeat a process of : ( 1 ) transferring the devices from the loading shuttle 51 to the test sockets 61 ; ( 2 ) loading the devices into the test sockets ; ( 3 ) transferring the devices from the test socket 61 to the unloading shuttle 55 ; and ( 4 ) returning back to a position of the loading shuttle 51 . the process is described in greater detail below with reference to fig4 a - 4 d . each of the first and second index heads 602 and 604 has one or more device holders 603 and 605 . the number of device holders on each index head corresponds to the number of devices that can be simultaneously loaded into the test sockets 61 . the device holders 603 or 605 move up and down in the first or second index head 602 or 604 , and are designed to hold and release the devices . there are motors 606 fitted to one side of the frames 601 for driving the first and index heads 602 and 604 , individually . there is a threaded driving rod 607 fitted to each of the motors 606 that extends along the x - axis . the driving rod 607 rotates as the motor 606 rotates . a supporting block 609 is thread coupled with the threaded driving rod 607 , for moving in an x - axis direction as the threaded driving rod 607 rotates . there is a supporting plate 610 , having the first or second index heads 602 or 604 fitted thereto , coupled with a front portion of the supporting block 609 . the first or second index heads 602 or 604 are movable in up and down directions along an lm guide 612 located between the support plate 610 and the index head . an lm guide 608 is coupled with the supporting block 609 for guiding movement of the supporting block 609 in the x direction . when the motor 606 is put into operation , to rotate the threaded rod 607 , the supporting block 609 moves along the lm guide 608 in the x - axis direction , together with the supporting plate 610 and the index head . a vertical motor 614 is also located on a central portion of each of the frames 601 for controlling vertical movement of the first or second index heads 602 or 604 . a threaded vertical driving rod 615 is connected to the vertical motor 614 . an elevating block 616 is coupled to the vertical driving rod 615 and is movable in up and down directions as the threaded vertical driving rod 615 rotates . an lm guide 617 is used for guiding the up and down movement of the elevating block 616 . a vertical plate 618 extends downward from a front portion of the elevating block 616 , and an elevating bar 619 is fixed to a lower end of the vertical plate 618 in the x - axis direction . the supporting plate 610 is coupled to the elevating bar 619 with a supporting bearing 611 inbetween , such that the supporting plate can move in both the x - axis direction and the vertical direction following movement of the elevating bar 619 . when the vertical motor 614 is put into operation , to rotate the threaded vertical driving rod 615 , the elevating block 616 coupled therewith moves along the lm guide 617 in up and down directions , to move the first or second index head 602 or 604 in up and down directions as the supporting plate 610 moves up and down together with the vertical plate 618 and the elevating bar 619 coupled with the elevating block 616 . the operation of the indexing device will be explained with reference to fig4 a - 4 d . referring to fig4 a , at an initial starting of the device test handler , the first index head 602 is positioned at a test loading position over the loading shuttle 51 , and the second index head 604 is positioned at a test unloading position over the unloading shuttle 55 , or vice versa . as the motor 614 is driven , the first index head 602 moves down and the device holder 603 grasps one or more of the devices to be tested on the loading shuttle 51 . then , as shown in fig4 b , the first index head 602 moves up in the y - axis , then over to the right in the x - axis direction to a space over the test socket 61 as the vertical and horizontal motors are driven . the device holder 603 then moves down as the vertical motor 614 is driven again , and loads the one or more devices into the test sockets 61 , for testing . the second index head 604 , which was initially positioned opposite to the first index head 602 , moves in the x - axis direction toward the loading shuttle 51 , and stops at a test loading position over the loading shuttle 51 as the motor 606 is driven . the second index head 604 then moves down and grasps one or more the devices to be tested , and stands by . the second index head 604 may come to rest at a standby position that is immediately adjacent the test sockets 61 , as illustrated by the dashed lines in fig4 c . this will allow the second index head to very quickly move into position over the test sockets as soon as the first index head 602 leaves , to minimize index time . as shown in fig4 c , after elapse of a preset time period for the testing , the first index head 602 holds the tested devices and moves up , moves to the test unloading position over the unloading shuttle 55 , moves down , and loads the tested devices into the unloading shuttle 55 . as soon as the first index head 602 moves away from the test socket 61 toward the unloading shuttle 55 , the second index head 604 moves toward the test socket 61 , and moves down and loads the devices it is holding into the test sockets 61 for testing . after the first index head 602 drops off the tested devices at the unloading shuttle 55 , it returns to the loading shuttle 51 and repeats the foregoing process . fig4 d illustrates the second index head 604 positioned over the test socket 61 , and the first index head 602 returning from a space over the unloading shuttle 55 to a position of the loading shuttle 51 . although the second index head 604 and the first index head 602 cross at a position over the test socket 61 , because one of the index heads is moved down toward the test socket 61 , the index heads do not collide . using the above process , the first index head 602 and the second index head 604 can load the devices into the test socket 61 continuously , in a manner that minimizes an index time period . during the picking up and placing of the devices by the first and second index heads 602 and 604 , the loading shuttle 51 and the unloading shuttle 55 move back and forth in steps , thereby allowing smooth continuous picking up and placing of the devices from / to the shuttles . as has been explained , the device test handler and the method for operating the same of the present invention significantly reduces the picking up and placing time periods to reduce possible damage to the devices during production , and to reduce an index time period , which maximizes testing efficiency . the continuous supply of the devices to the test sockets by the two index heads minimizes an index time period , and the one directional transportation of the devices eliminates the need for a separate device picking up and placing device , thereby simplifying the device test handler . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the device test handler and the method for operating the same of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
in the following description , for purposes of explanation and not limitation , specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details . in other instances , detailed descriptions of well - known methods , devices , and data structures are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the present invention . referring initially to fig1 there is illustrated a diagram of the entities comprising the contracting parties that can utilize exemplary embodiments of the invention to establish their respective contractual positions , obligations , and benefits . the term entity is utilized within the present inventive system to typically represent a business with a least one physical facility where the entity conducts business and where multiple persons are employed . however , an individual can be a contracting party within the meaning and scope of the present invention without detracting from the features available under exemplary embodiments of the invention . additionally , embodiments of the invention can be utilized by individuals and companies which lack any physical facilities or employees . the performances of each of these contracting parties can be guided by terms of agreements developed by embodiments of the invention . the present invention is couched in the environment of manufacturing facilities wherein a consumer of a manufactured product is another entity rather than an individual consumer . in the environment of industrial gases , for example , a manufacturing plant can produce cryogenic gases in the form of liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide . one typical consumer 102 of these industrial gases can be the manufacturer of cryogenic freezing and processing equipment , such as for flash - freezing food products . alternatively , the consumer 102 of cryogenic gases can be a service business that leases , operates , and maintains the cryogenic equipment on a customer &# 39 ; s site or sites . in either circumstance , the consumer 102 can be a business with a critical need for a reliable source for large volumes of industrial gases . however , as discussed above , the consumer 102 can lack the resources to build its own manufacturing plant and can further lack the expertise to operate the manufacturing plant as efficiently as possible . two key elements in this system are the operating company 100 and the experience database 108 of manufacturing plant operating parameters and contract terms . during the day - to - day operation of a manufacturing plant , literally thousands of pieces of information can be gathered and stored . within the scope of exemplary embodiments of the present invention , an operating company 100 with experience operating one or more manufacturing plants can capture information ranging from operating parameters of each piece of equipment that comprises the manufacturing plant and its processes to the daily weather conditions that may affect the plant operation . additional production information can include the volume of raw materials consumed during each period , such as a day or a week ; the source and the cost of the raw materials ; the volume of product produced during each such corresponding period ; the specifications and quality requirements for both the raw materials and the finished products ; the number of type of workers involved in each production process ; and the contractual terms of purchase agreements , lease agreements , sale agreements , and operating agreements negotiated by or on behalf of the manufacturing plant . additional information can be gleaned from other companies &# 39 ; operations , trade journals , news reports , and the like and added to the experience database 108 . the experience database 108 can also be viewed as an incident database because it can hold information related to plant and equipment breakdowns and failures , thereby providing the present system with information associated with events to be avoided during the optimum design , construction , and operation of the plant . while the experience database 108 is represented in fig1 as a single database , it can consist of a plurality of separate files and databases without detracting from the novel features of the present invention . the operating company 100 can utilize embodiments of the present invention to develop and structure various operating agreements involved in the design , building , purchase , leasing , and operating of various manufacturing plants . this process begins with the building of the experience database 108 with information gleaned from the day - to - day operation of a wide variety of manufacturing plants , including information associated with the design , construction , and financing of such plants . while a particular operating company 100 can limit its expertise and application of the present invention to a particular product line or a limited geographic portion of the world , the inventive system and method described herein can be equally applicable to any manufacturing plant anywhere that acquires raw or manufactured materials and processes them into an output product available for purchase and consumption by a consumer , whether the consumer is an end user or , instead , utilizes the manufactured product as an input material in its own manufacturing plant . referring briefly to fig2 there are shown exemplary components that comprise the inventive system . the processing accomplished by the present invention is provided through a computer 200 which has access to the experience database 108 . the computer 200 includes at least one computer readable medium that is encoded with software for effecting the processing associated with the structuring and selection of contractual terms for defining the relative responsibilities among the parties discussed above with reference to fig1 . the information stored on the experience database 108 can be input , in some instances , manually through at least one input device 202 . alternatively , the computer and / or the experience database 108 can be connected to a network 204 , including the internet , across which plant operating and experience data can be transmitted for storage on the experience database 108 . this information can be manually provided or can be transmitted directly from various sensors and equipment ( not shown ) located in and around various manufacturing plants . one or more output devices 206 can print ( or transmit across the network 204 to other users and devices of the inventive system ) the terms , agreements , and operating parameters generated by the system . additionally , the output from the inventive system can be displayed to the user through a graphical user interface 208 . although not required by exemplary embodiments of the present invention , the resources shown in fig2 can be operated by the operating company 100 , as more thoroughly discussed below . referring now to fig3 and 4 , the development of the contract terms for each agreement and the management of the performances of the contracting parties under the agreements will be discussed . initially , at step 400 , the operating company 100 acquires data related to the day - to - day operation of one or more manufacturing plants and stores it in an experience database 108 . the operating company 100 approaches a consumer 102 and proposes the design , construction , and operation of a manufacturing plant for the production of a particular product , such as the cryogenic gas , liquid nitrogen . the operating company 100 has expertise in the design and operation of the subject manufacturing plant and has available to it the experience database 108 of information , parameters , and contract terms related to the design , construction , purchase , lease , and operation of comparable manufacturing plants . alternatively , the operating company 100 can rely on the experience of an engineering company 106 to provide the expertise and information regarding the design and / or the construction of the proposed manufacturing plant . as used herein , the engineering company can have the ability to design , build , manufacture , and / or assemble a manufacturing plant . additionally , the engineering company can have the expertise to also operate the plant . the consumer 102 is a known or potential consumer of the intended manufactured product , a product with which the operating company 100 has production experience . during the meeting of the operating company 100 and the consumer 102 at step 402 , details of the potential manufacturing plant are discussed . these detailed plant and operating criteria include the product ( s ) to be produced , the range of output product ( s ) desired or anticipated , and the financial resources of the consumer 102 . this information is input to embodiments of the present invention , with the first output being one or more designs for the proposed manufacturing plant , with the optimum design noted by the system at step 403 as most closely matching the proposed criteria of the plant and the resources of the consumer 102 . upon selection of the desired plant design by the consumer 102 , the system at step 404 then produces a draft product delivery agreement 310 , a draft lease agreement 312 , and a draft operating agreement 314 . alternatively , the operating company 100 can select the desired plant design based on information provided by the consumer 102 and the optimum design recommended by the system at step 403 . those familiar with the delivery of manufacturing plants and the manufacture of products can appreciate that the product delivery agreement 310 is also known as a “ product supply agreement ” and is distinguishable from agreements to deliver and / or supply to a consumer the actual product manufactured or produced by the plant . the terms that comprise each of the agreements created by the system are selected from the information stored on the experience database 108 based on input criteria , parameters , and / or terms input by the operating company 100 and / or the consumer 102 . the system can also produce a list of engineering companies 106 who have the expertise to construct the proposed manufacturing plant . the engineering companies 106 are ranked according to the information in the experience database 108 , with those engineering companies who have constructed similar manufacturing plants within budget and on time receiving the highest ranking . additionally , a list of banks 104 can be generated by the system based on the magnitude of the plant selected and the financial resources and credit ranking of the consumer 102 . the banks 104 are ranked within the list , with banks with lower interest rates , experience with construction loans and real property lease agreements , and branches near the site of the proposed plant being assigned the highest ranking by the system . as used herein , the term , “ bank ,” can apply to any entity , including an individual , that is willing and able to provide funding for the construction of the plant and is not limited to financial institutions chartered and / or licensed to provide banking services . through meetings among the operating company 100 , the consumer 102 , the banks 104 , and the engineering companies 106 , a bank 104 and an engineering company 106 are selected to complete the quadrant of four entities who will be contractually tied together by the product delivery agreement 310 , the lease agreement 312 , and the operating agreement 314 . the draft product delivery agreement 310 is presented to the engineering company 106 and the bank 104 for their approval . while termed a product delivery agreement 310 , the agreement 310 can also be termed a construction agreement in that it can include the design and construction criteria and specifications for the construction of the manufacturing plant . it is against these design and construction criteria and specifications that the construction and ultimate completion of the manufacturing plant can be compared to determine whether delivery of the completed plant to the bank 104 should be accepted . if any modifications are proposed to the draft product delivery agreement 310 , these changes are input to the system at step 406 ; and a second product delivery agreement 310 is produced at step 408 , within the limits imposed by the system , the operating company 100 , and the consumer 102 . for example , if the consumer 102 has indicated that the plant must be operational within one year of ground - breaking , and the engineering company 106 has proposed changing this term of the product delivery agreement 310 to a fourteen month delivery , this difference will be detected by the system and noted as an exception to be resolved before a final draft of the product delivery agreement 310 will be output by the system . once all exceptions are resolved among the contracting parties , the changes are input to the present inventive system , and a final product delivery agreement 310 is produced at step 410 . the final product delivery agreement 310 includes the selected design for the plant , all building specifications and blueprints , and construction time tables . additionally , since the bank 104 has been enlisted , and has agreed , to finance the construction , a scheduled list of payments from the bank 104 to the engineering company 106 can be included in the product delivery agreement 310 along with a corresponding list of construction performances which must be met before the payments are to be tendered . the final product delivery agreement 310 produced by the system is presented to the bank 104 and the engineering company 106 for signature by their authorized representatives and becomes the contractual map by which the manufacturing plant is to be constructed by the engineering company 106 and by which the engineering company 106 is to be paid by the bank 104 . because the final product delivery agreement 310 is produced by the inventive system based on input parameters and criteria established by the operating company 100 and the consumer 102 , both parties can be assured that the contractual terms and construction criteria and standards by which the engineering company 106 will build the plant are satisfactory to the operating company 100 who will eventually operate the plant and satisfactory to the consumer 102 who will lease the plant from the bank 104 and rely on it to produce a required output product . additionally , an exemplary embodiment of the system can generate , at step 404 , a construction supervision agreement 316 that includes contractual clauses defining the role and responsibilities of the operating company 100 as a construction or supervising engineer for the bank 104 during the construction of the manufacturing plant to ensure the plant is built in accordance with the design specifications . the determination of the location for the plant and the purchase or lease of the land upon which the plant will be constructed are typically the responsibility and the authority of the consumer 102 . in the alternative , the bank can acquire the desired tract of land and include the cost of the land purchase in the lease agreement 312 . in either event , any design and construction criteria that are a function of the location of the plant can be input to the system to customize the product delivery agreement 310 accordingly . for example , the plant site may require additional grading , deeper footings , or a longer access drive , each of which can be reflected in the final design and construction terms of the product delivery agreement 310 . the draft lease agreement 312 is presented to the consumer 102 and the bank 104 for their approval . if any modifications are proposed to the draft lease agreement 312 , these changes are input to the system at step 412 ; and a second lease agreement 312 is produced at step 414 , within the limits imposed by the system , the operating company 100 , and the consumer 102 . for example , if the consumer 102 has indicated that it cannot afford a monthly lease cost in excess of $ 125 , 000 , and the bank 104 has proposed a monthly lease cost of $ 150 , 000 , this difference will be detected by the system and noted as an exception to be resolved before a final draft of the lease agreement 312 will be output by the system . once all exceptions are resolved among the contracting parties , the changes are input to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive system , and a final lease agreement 312 is produced at step 416 . the final lease agreement 312 includes , for example , interest rate terms , monthly costs , insurance requirements , monthly payment due dates , late payment penalties , and default provisions . the final lease agreement 312 produced by the system is presented to the bank 104 and the consumer 102 for signature by their authorized representatives and becomes the contractual map by which the manufacturing plant is to be leased from its owner , the bank 104 , and by which the bank 104 is to be paid by the consumer 102 . because the final lease agreement 312 is produced by an embodiment of the inventive system based on input parameters and criteria established by the operating company 100 and the consumer 102 , both parties can be assured that the contractual and financial terms by which the consumer 102 will lease the manufacturing plant from the bank 104 are satisfactory to the consumer 102 who will lease the plant from the bank 104 and rely on it to produce a required output product . additionally , because the operation of the plant will be under terms drawn from the experience database 108 , as discussed more thoroughly below , the risk borne by the bank 104 that the plant may fail are lessened ; and the bank 104 can require less compensation through lease payments to cover the cost of the risk of failure . finally , if elected by the operating company 100 and the bank 104 , the system can generate at step 404 a buy - out agreement 318 specifying buy - out terms whereby the operating company 100 can purchase the plant from the bank 104 during or at the completion of the lease agreement 312 . through the terms and the operation of the buy - out agreement 318 , any risk to the bank 104 regarding plant operating and maintenance costs can be lessened by providing terms and specifying predetermined events whereby the purchase of the plant by the operating company 100 is triggered , including the failure of the consumer 102 to maintain lease payments . the draft operating agreement 314 is presented to the operating company 100 and the consumer 102 for their approval . if any modifications are proposed to the draft operating agreement 314 , these changes are input to the system at step 418 ; and a second operating agreement 314 is produced at step 420 , within the limits imposed by the system , the operating company 100 , and the consumer 102 . for example , if the consumer 102 has indicated that the plant must be able of producing 1 , 000 cubic feet of liquid nitrogen per day , and the operating company 100 has proposed changing this term of the operating agreement 314 to producing 750 cubic feet daily , this difference will be detected by the system and noted as an exception to be resolved before a final draft of the operating agreement 314 will be output by the system at step 422 . in this manner , the interests of all parties are protected , even in an environment where the present inventive system is being utilized by the operating company 100 to define the criteria by which the manufacturing plant will be designed , built , leased , and operated . once all exceptions are resolved among the contracting parties , the changes are input to the present inventive system , and a final operating agreement 314 is produced . the final operating agreement 314 can specify optimum settings for all equipment in the plant , including marginal operating ranges given variables agreed upon by the operating company 100 and the consumer 102 . these variables can include daily production volume , guaranteed up time for the plant , and quality of the output product ( s ). typically , the term of the operating agreement 314 can be set to the same length as the duration term of the lease agreement 312 . the arrows 310 a , 312 a , 314 a , 316 a , and 318 a represent the mutual obligations specified by the terms of the respective product delivery , lease , operating , supervision , and purchase agreements as determined , drafted , and output by exemplary embodiments of the inventive system . one advantage of the present invention is that manufacturing plant experience , including equipment operating parameters , has been stored on the experience database 108 . with this information , the present system has the information to establish proven operating parameters for a complex combination of operating equipment , thereby enabling the operating company 100 to optimize plant operation and guarantee an attainable up time percentage and , correspondingly , assure the consumer 102 that the operating company 100 and the manufacturing plant will be able to produce a desired / contracted volume and quality of the desired product . with such assurances , the consumer 102 is better prepared to plan on the availability of a known quantity of product . the final operating agreement 314 produced by the system is presented to the operating company 100 and the consumer 102 for signature by their authorized representatives and becomes the contractual map by which the manufacturing plant is to be operated by the operating company 100 and by which the manufactured products are to be timely produced for the consumer 102 . because the final operating agreement 314 is produced by the inventive system based on input parameters and criteria established by the operating company 100 and the consumer 102 , both parties can be assured that the contractual terms , plant operating criteria , and product standards are satisfactory to the operating company 100 who will operate the plant and satisfactory to the consumer 102 who will rely on the plant to produce a required output product . for example , the consumer 102 specifying a requirement that the plant operate 98 % of the time can trigger embodiments of the invention to generate such operational requirements , for example , that double compressors will be required , that two shifts of personnel at particular positions will be necessary , and that an additional $ 10 , 000 in monthly operating fees will need to be paid to the operating company 100 . additionally , during plant operation , information from the day - to - day operations are added to the experience database 108 at step 424 , and reports are generated comparing the plant &# 39 ; s operation with the operation of comparable plants . any differences in the plant &# 39 ; s operation as compared to past operations and as compared to an optimum operation are highlighted as exceptions in the reports or on a display available to the user of the inventive system ; and recommendations are made at step 426 regarding equipment settings , process flow , personnel allocation , raw materials acquisition , etc . to improve and optimize the plant &# 39 ; s operation . since the present inventive system is thereby assisting the operating company 100 with the day - to - day operation and management of the plant , the operating company 100 experiences cost savings and risk reduction over having to provide this overview and management itself , thereby increasing any profit to the operating company 100 and reducing the operating fees payable by the consumer 102 . referring now to fig5 there is shown an alternative embodiment of the present invention . in this version , the product delivery agreement of fig3 is replaced with a purchase agreement 510 . the purchase agreement 510 is developed by the system in the same manner as the product delivery agreement 310 of fig3 and also includes contract terms regarding plant design , construction criteria , and delivery deadlines . however , the financing aspect of the plant construction differs in the embodiment represented by fig3 in that the engineering company 106 finances the construction of the plant , either directly or through third party financing . the purchase agreement 510 provides terms for the required and scheduled sale of the completed plant by the engineering company 106 to the bank 104 and the corresponding obligatory purchase of the plant by the bank 104 from the engineering company 106 . the purchase terms can include , as a condition precedent for the final payment from the bank 104 to the engineering company 106 , delivery of an affidavit from the operating company 100 that the constructed plant is satisfactorily operational . in this embodiment , the engineering company 106 bears the burden of financing the construction of the manufacturing plant . such an option provides additional flexibility for the integrated design , construction , financing , and operation facilitated and managed by the present system by transferring the financial burden away from the bank 104 in those circumstances and in those economic regions where the banks 104 are either unable or unwilling to finance a construction project or will do so only at undesirably high interest rates or fees . in such an environment , the engineering company 106 may be willing to assume the financing risk and burden of designing and constructing the plant , with contractual assurances through the predetermined purchase agreement 510 that a willing and able buyer , the bank 104 , is obligated to purchase the completed plant . alternatively , the embodiment shown in fig5 can also include a purchase agreement between the bank 104 and the operating company 100 for the subsequent purchase of the completed plant in a manner similar to the flow shown in fig3 . similar to the flow shown in fig3 the arrows 312 a , 314 a , and 510 a represent the mutual obligations specified by the terms of the respective lease , operating , and purchase agreements as determined and drafted by exemplary embodiments of the inventive system . although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principle and spirit of the invention , the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
reference is now made to fig1 which is schematic illustration of a linear resonator of a laser constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the linear resonator preferably consists of reflectors , preferably fill reflector 20 and 21 and a partial reflector or an output coupler 22 , a gain medium 24 , a thin film polarizing beam splitter 26 and two mode controlling elements 28 and 29 . the beam splitter 26 reflects one polarization , hereinafter called polarization “ 1 ”, through control element 28 towards full reflector 21 , and transmits the polarization orthogonal to polarization “ 1 ”, hereafter called polarization “ 2 ”. two modes of oscillation , indicated by reference numbers 30 and 31 are thus established between the output coupler 22 and the reflectors 20 and 21 respectively . both radiation associated with both modes 30 and 31 propagate through the gain medium 24 . however , the radiation associated with mode 30 propagates through the mode controlling element 28 while that of mode 31 propagates through the mode controlling element 29 . in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention , the laser resonator of fig1 is characterized in that the elements 28 and 29 are operative to select modes 30 and 31 respectively such that they have different intensity and phase distributions , and element 26 is operative to provide that mode 30 has polarization “ 2 ” while mode 31 has polarization “ 1 ”. elements 28 and 29 are designed and oriented in such a way that the high intensity regions or lobes of mode 30 in the gain medium 24 fall on the nodes or low intensity regions of mode 31 , and vice versa . since modes 30 and 31 interact in the gain medium 24 only through the gain depletion which each one introduces , they can co - exist stably in the resonators . other undesirable modes are suppressed by the mode controlling elements , thereby improving the quality of the output beam 33 . there are a number of alternative preferred optical configurations of such linear resonators . the output coupler and full reflectors , 20 , 21 and 22 , may have surfaces of different radii of curvature , whether concave or convex , or may even be flat . the amount of curvature can be designed so as to compensate for the thermal lensing of the gain medium , particularly in solid state lasers . furthermore , any of the end reflectors may be porro prisms , phase conjugate mirrors , or any other type of appropriate reflector . in the preferred embodiment of fig1 reflectors 20 and 21 need not be identical . furthermore , provided the resonators formed by the elements 22 , 26 , 29 , 21 and 22 , 26 , 28 , 20 are designed in such a way that each correctly supports the respective modes 31 and 30 independently , with compensation for the thermal lensing of gain medium 24 , the distances between the polarizing beam splitter 26 and the reflectors 20 , 21 , need not be identical . in fact , since each of the nodes 30 and 31 generally occupies a separate portion of the gain medium 24 , because of the different influence of the thermal distribution in the gain medium 24 on the distortion of the two modes , optimum performance is generally reached when the two resonators are different in design . [ 0103 ] fig2 is a schematic illustration of another preferred alternative to the thin film polarizing beam splitter shown in fig1 and is constructed , of a birefringent prism 27 , such as a “ glan - thompson ” or “ glan - laser ” type of prism . reference is now made to fig3 which is a schematic illustration of another preferred embodiment of the present invention . the beam splitter 26 of the embodiment of fig1 is replaced by a polarizing beam displacer 34 . the beam displacer 34 transmits one polarization , polarization “ 1 ”, without any displacement , and transmits the polarization orthogonal to polarization “ 1 ”, polarization “ 2 ”, with a lateral displacement 35 of its line of propagation . the beam displacer is constructed of a birefringent material , preferably calcite , yvo 4 or α - bbo . two modes of oscillation , indicated by reference numbers 30 and 31 are established between the output coupler 22 and the reflectors 20 and 21 respectively . the energy of both modes 30 and 31 propagate through the gain medium 24 . in a similar manner to the configuration of fig1 the energy of mode 30 propagates through the mode - controlling element 28 , while that of mode 31 propagates through the mode - controlling element 29 . in accordance with this preferred embodiment of the invention , the laser resonator of fig3 is characterized and operative in the same way as the embodiment of fig1 except that the resonator comprised of the elements 22 , 34 , 29 , 21 is not folded . the section 34 , 29 , 21 is displaced laterally with respect to the section 34 , 28 , 20 instead of being at an angle to it . this alternative preferred embodiment is more compact than that of fig1 and also has the advantages that the elements 28 and 29 , and the reflectors 20 and 21 can be respectively combined , each pair on the same physical piece of optics . such an embodiment , with the two mode control elements on a single component , and the two end reflectors on another single component is shown in fig4 . the mode control elements 38 , 39 are constructed on the same physical element 36 , and also the reflectors 20 , 21 , on another single physical element 37 . in the embodiment shown in fig4 ., the reflectors 20 and 21 are preferably flat , but the element 37 could also be preferably constructed using a technique such as diamond tuning , whereby the reflectors 20 and 21 could be given any suitable radius of curvature . [ 0108 ] fig5 is an example of a combined mode control element constructed on a single piece of optics 36 . pattern 38 is an etched or deposited phase pattern designed and operative to select the mode tem 02 , while the aperture 39 is designed and operative to select the tem 00 mode . the centers of the pattern 38 and the aperture 39 are displaced by the distance 35 , which is the exact displacement created by the polarizing beam displacer element 34 . reference is now made to fig6 a to 6 e , which present schematic illustrations of different preferred mode controlling elements . [ 0110 ] fig6 a illustrates an element in the form of an aperture designed to select the tem 00 mode . the aperture introduces loss to all modes higher than the tem 00 mode . it can be drilled or etched into a substrate . generally , when such an aperture is introduced as the sole mode - limiting element into a high power laser resonator , the aperture tends to suffer damage at its edges . it is therefore preferably made of a high damage resistant materials such as molybdenum or ceramic materials . however , when such an aperture is introduced in conjunction with other mode selectors , into the resonators of the present invention , such as those illustrated in fig1 or fig3 the other mode selectors too are operative in confining the mode ten 00 thus effectively preventing or significantly reducing damage to the aperture . [ 0111 ] fig6 b illustrates an element in the form of a cross made of thin wires designed and operative to select the tem 02 mode and higher modes . it introduces losses in the resonator to the tem 00 and the tem 01 modes , thus preventing their oscillation . in high power lasers , however , the wires are worn out by damage caused by the laser radiation . [ 0112 ] fig6 c illustrates an element in the form of a discontinuous phase element designed and operative to select the tem 02 mode . since this element does not introduce amplitude loss , and its phase pattern matches that of the tem 02 mode , it prevents lasing of both higher order and lower order modes . the element can preferably be etched or deposited on any transparent optical material such as fused silica , glass , zinc selenide , or the like . [ 0113 ] fig6 d illustrates an element in the form of a spiral continuous phase element designed and operative to select the tem 01 * mode . [ 0114 ] fig6 e illustrates an element in the form of an absorptive apodizer designed and operative to select a super - gaussian mode . [ 0115 ] fig7 is a schematic illustration of an example of an element consisting of a combination of two discontinuous phase elements oriented in different directions . each element is designed and operative to select a tem 01 mode . when introduced into a resonator according to the present invention , such as that shown in fig1 or fig3 mutually rotated at 90 degrees to each other , two tem 01 modes with orthogonal polarizations exist in the resonator . [ 0116 ] fig8 is a schematic illustration of the near - field intensity distribution of the combination of modes of the resonator of fig1 or fig3 resulting from the use of the mode control elements 40 , 42 , shown in fig7 . the arrows represent the polarizations of the high intensity regions of the modes . regions 44 and 45 arise from the mode existing in the path containing mode control element 42 , while regions 48 and 49 arise from the mode existing in the path with mode control element 40 . [ 0117 ] fig9 is schematic illustration of a further preferred embodiment of a pair of mode control elements , consisting of an aperture 50 that selects the tem 00 mode and a discontinuous phase element 52 that selects the tem 02 mode . when introduced into a resonator such as that shown in fig1 or fig3 a combination of modes with orthogonal polarizations exists in the resonator . [ 0118 ] fig1 is a schematic illustration of the near - field intensity distribution of such a combination of modes . the arrows represent the polarizations of the high intensity regions . the tem 00 mode fills the central zone 54 of the gain medium while the high intensity regions 56 of the tem 02 mode fill the outer zone , thus achieving good filling of the entire diameter of the gain medium 24 . according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention , modification of the mode control element , by predetermined changes in the phase shift of the sections of the phase element of fig9 that selects the tem 02 mode , can be used for compensation of the birefringence introduced in high power solid state lasers , as described in the prior art . [ 0120 ] fig1 is schematic illustration of yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention showing a combination of an aperture 50 that selects the tem 00 mode , and a continuous phase element of spiral phase distribution 60 that selects the tem 01 * mode . when introduced into a resonator such as that shown in fig1 or fig3 a combination of modes with orthogonal polarizations exist in the resonator . [ 0121 ] fig1 is a schematic illustration of the near - field intensity distribution pattern of such a combination of modes using the mode control elements shown in fig1 . the arrows represent the polarizations of the lobes . the central part 62 arises from the tem 00 mode , while the outer ring arises from the tem 0 * mode . since both modes have rotational symmetry they complement each other efficiently and extract a high level of power from the gain medium volume . [ 0122 ] fig1 is schematic illustration of yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention , showing a combination of elements consisting of an aperture 50 that selects the tem 00 mode and a discontinuous phase element 66 that selects the tem 04 mode . when introduced into a resonator such as those of fig1 or fig3 a combination of modes with orthogonal polarizations exist in the resonator . [ 0123 ] fig1 is a schematic illustration of the near - field intensity distribution lobes of such a combination of modes resulting from the use of the combination of mode control elements of fig1 . the arrows represent the polarizations of the high intensity regions . the central part 68 arises from the tem 00 mode , while the outer parts 70 arise from the tem 04 mode . since the lobes 70 of the tem 04 modes are smaller than the high intensity regions 56 of the tem 02 mode shown in fig1 , the combination of the tem 04 mode with the tem 00 mode is more efficient in filing the entire cross - section of the gain medium . reference is now made to fig1 which is a schematic illustration of a linear resonator of a laser constructed and operative in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . the resonator consists of a gain medium 24 , a full reflective element 81 , an output coupling reflective element 22 and a unified polarizing and mode control element 80 . inside the resonator a beam 32 travels back and forth between the reflectors 22 and 81 . the beam consists of two sets of modes , each set at a different polarization , and the resonator is designed so that the high intensity regions of one set fall generally on the low intensity regions of the other set of modes . [ 0125 ] fig1 is a schematic illustration of a preferred embodiment of a unified polarizing and mode control element 80 , constructed and operative to select a combination of the mutual orthogonal polarized modes tem 00 and tem 04 . element 80 has an etched or deposited pattern on its face . it acts as a discontinuous phase element , in which the zones 84 create a phase shift of π with respect to the zones 82 . the element with this specific phase shift pattern presents a low loss to the tem 04 mode thus preferentially selecting it to oscillate in the resonator . the central disk 83 has low loss in one polarization , and the zones 82 and 84 have low loss in the orthogonal polarization . thus , when the element 80 is introduced into a laser resonator with the gain medium 24 , the tem 00 mode which is selected by the zone 83 possesses one polarization , while the mode tem 04 which is selected by the zones 82 and 84 has the orthogonal polarization . in one preferred embodiment the zones are constructed and operative to have a polarization dependent loss by etching or deposition of a diffractive grating having subwavelength period , as is known in the art . the element 80 can preferably be made of any material such as fused silica , glass , zinc selenide , or any other suitable material used for transmissive or reflective optical components . [ 0126 ] fig1 is a schematic illustration of yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention , showing a combined polarizing and mode control element 90 constructed and operative to select a combination of two orthogonally polarized tem 01 modes . element 90 has an etched or deposited pattern on its surface . this pattern acts as a discontinuous phase element , in which zone 97 creates for both polarizations , a phase shift of π with respect to the zone 95 . the patterns of zones 96 and 98 introduce different phase shifts to the two different orthogonal polarizations , zone 96 introducing a phase shift of π with respect to zone 95 for the ‘ 1 ’ polarization and no phase shift for the ‘ 2 ’ polarization , and zone 98 introducing a phase shift of π with respect to the ‘ 2 ’ polarization and no phase shift for the ‘ 1 ’ polarization . this is preferably achieved with the aid of a diffractive grating of subwavelength period , as described for the element shown in fig1 . thus , the single element 90 acts in a similar manner to the two elements described in fig5 allowing two tem 01 modes with orthogonal polarizations to co - exist when inserted into a laser resonator according to the present invention , preferably of the type shown in fig1 . [ 0127 ] fig1 is a schematic illustration of yet another preferred embodiment of a laser resonator according to the present invention . the resonator consists of the same elements as the resonator of fig1 , but the unified polarization and mode control element 80 is introduced close to the output coupling reflecting element 22 . in this configuration , the lobes of the output beam 33 are generally in phase . as a result , no additional adjusting phase element is needed outside the resonator to properly focus the beam 33 to a small spot for various applications . [ 0128 ] fig1 is a schematic illustration of a laser resonator according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . the resonator is similar to the embodiments of fig1 and fig2 but is constructed such that two laser output beams , each of a different polarization , emerge separately . the polarizing element 106 can preferably be either a thin film beam splitter 26 or a prism beam splitter 27 . a total reflector 102 replaces the partial reflector ( output coupler ) 22 of fig1 and two partial reflectors ( output couplers ) 100 and 101 replace the total reflectors 20 and 21 respectively of fig1 . in this embodiment , therefore , two output beams 103 and 104 are obtained . one output beam 103 , possesses mode 30 , and emerges through output coupler 100 , and the other output beam 104 of mode 31 , emerges through the output coupler 101 . these two beams can then be combined into a single beam using an additional external optical system that includes a polarizing beam splitter ( combiner ) element such as 26 or 27 . [ 0129 ] fig2 is a schematic illustration of a laser resonator according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . the resonator is similar to the embodiment of fig3 but two laser output beams , each of a different polarization , emerge separately . a total reflector 102 replaces the partial reflector ( output coupler ) 22 of fig3 and two partial reflectors 100 and 101 replace the total reflectors 20 and 21 respectively of fig3 . like the embodiment shown in fig1 , two output beams 103 and 104 exist . one output beam 103 , has mode 30 , and emerges through output coupler 100 , and the other output beam 104 has mode 31 , and emerges through the output coupler 101 . these two beams can then be recombined into a single beam using an additional external beam displacer ( combiner ) element 34 . reference is now made to fig2 , which is a schematic illustration of a laser resonator according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . the resonator is similar to the embodiments of fig1 except that only one mode control element 29 is used in one arm of the resonator . this mode control element is operative to select one mode or set of modes of one polarization , while a second mode or set of modes of orthogonal polarization is preferentially selected by means of gain depletion of this first mode in the gain medium 24 . reference is now made to fig2 a and 22b , which are schematic drawings of the manner in which coherent superposition of two orthogonally polarized modes result in azimuthally or radially polarized beams . fig2 a depicts an azimuthally polarized beam 110 , obtained by a coherent summation of a vertically polarized tem 01 ( hor ) mode 112 and a horizontally polarized tem 01 ( ver ) mode 114 , as obtained according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig2 b shows a radially polarized beam 116 , obtained by a coherent summation of an horizontally polarized tem 01 ( hor ) mode 118 and a vertically polarized tem 01 ( ver ) mode 120 , as obtained according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention . the suffixes ( hor ) and ( ver ) refer to the orientation of the tem 01 mode lobes with respect to the nominal horizontal and vertical directions of the drawing . reference is now made to fig2 a , which is a schematic drawing of the laser resonator configuration , according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention , in which specific transverse modes are selected and coherently summed . this preferred embodiment is similar in construction and operation to the laser configuration shown in fig4 but with the addition of a phase adjusting element 122 , whose function will be described hereinbelow . in fig2 a , the light propagating inside the laser and through the gain medium 139 is preferably split and displaced by means of a birefringent beam displacer 124 to obtain two separate paths 126 , 128 , wherein the beams are orthogonally polarized with respect to each other . path 126 is shown having polarization in the vertical direction , and path 128 in the horizontal direction . differently oriented discontinuous phase elements 130 , 132 , are inserted into each path , preferably adjacent to the back mirror 134 , to select the tem 01 mode . specifically , one of these modes is selected to be tem 01 ( hor ) , and the other to be tem 01 ( v ) . in the embodiment shown in fig2 a , the two phase elements are fabricated on the same substrate 136 , as previously shown in the embodiment of fig5 . in order to add the two modes coherently with the appropriate phase between them , a phase adjusting element 122 is inserted into one of the paths , in the region after separation , so as to control the optical path length in that path , and hence the phase difference between the beams propagating in the two paths . according to various preferred embodiments of the present invention , this phase adjustment element could be a transmissive plate , and the phase relation adjusted by adjusting the orientation of the plate in the beam path . according to other preferred embodiments , this phase adjustment element could be a material whose refractive index can be adjusted by application of an electric field , or any other suitable element capable of adjusting the phase of the beam propagating in its path . at the back mirror 134 , two spatially separated tem 01 modes evolve , each with a different linear polarization . however , as a result of the coherent summation of these two modes , produced by correct adjustment of the relative phase of the two beams with the adjuster 128 , a circularly symmetric doughnut shaped beam 137 radially or horizontally polarized emerges from the output coupler 138 . reference is now made to fig2 b , which is a schematic drawing of the laser resonator configuration , according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention , in which specific transverse modes are selected and coherently summed . this preferred embodiment is similar in construction and operation to the laser configuration shown in fig2 a , but differs in that each path of the two differently polarized beams has its own rear mirror 140 , 142 , and the phase adjustment is performed by mechanical adjustment of the length of one of the beam paths preferably by a mechanical micrometric motion mechanism 144 on its end mirror . according to other preferred embodiments , the motion of one of the reflectors along the beam optical axis may alternatively be performed by using a piezoelectric device , a motion device actuated by heat expansion , a pressure dependent device , a magnetostrictive device , a linear stepping motor , or any other device capable of providing accurately controlled micro - motion . the embodiments shown in fig2 a and 23b utilize a birefringent beam displacer 124 to obtain the two paths with orthogonally polarized modes , similar to the embodiment shown in fig3 above . it should be understood , though , that according to other preferred embodiments of the present invention , in the generation of azimuthally or radially polarized beams by means of coherent superposition of two orthogonally polarized modes , the orthogonally polarized modes can also be separated by using any other configuration of polarizing beam separation elements , such as that in the preferred embodiment shown in fig1 where a thin film polarizing beam splitter is used , or in the preferred embodiment of fig2 where a birefringent prism , such as a “ glan - thompson ” or a “ glan laser ”, prism is used . in any of these other preferred embodiments , the phase adjustment element is disposed in one of the orthogonally polarized beam paths . it should be pointed out that it is the use of the phase adjustment element shown in the embodiments of fig2 a and 23b which constitutes an important difference between the method of performing coherent summation according to these preferred embodiments , and the methods used in the previous embodiments of fig1 to 21 , where the mode summation is not performed coherently , and the object is to increase the utilization of the gain medium , without regard to the relative phase of the beams propagating in the two orthogonal paths . it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereabove . rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereto which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the above description and which are not in the prior art . | 7 |
in the following the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the system of fig5 , the encoder 1 of fig6 and decoder 2 of fig7 . the pictures to be encoded can be , for example , pictures of a video stream from a video source 3 , e . g . a camera , a video recorder , etc . the pictures ( frames ) of the video stream can be divided into smaller portions such as slices . the slices can further be divided into blocks . in the encoder 1 the video stream is encoded to reduce the information to be transmitted via a transmission channel 4 , or to a storage media ( not shown ). pictures of the video stream are input to the encoder 1 . the encoder has an encoding buffer 1 . 1 ( fig6 ) for temporarily storing some of the pictures to be encoded . the encoder 1 also includes a memory 1 . 3 and a processor 1 . 2 in which the encoding tasks according to the invention can be applied . the memory 1 . 3 and the processor 1 . 2 can be common with the transmitting device 6 or the transmitting device 6 can have another processor and / or memory ( not shown ) for other functions of the transmitting device 6 . the encoder 1 performs motion estimation and / or some other tasks to compress the video stream . in motion estimation similarities between the picture to be encoded ( the current picture ) and a previous and / or latter picture are searched . if similarities are found the compared picture or part of it can be used as a reference picture for the picture to be encoded . in jvt the display order and the decoding order of the pictures are not necessarily the same , wherein the reference picture has to be stored in a buffer ( e . g . in the encoding buffer 1 . 1 ) as long as it is used as a reference picture . the encoder 1 also inserts information on display order of the pictures into the transmission stream . from the encoding process the encoded pictures are moved to an encoded picture buffer 5 . 2 , if necessary . the encoded pictures are transmitted from the encoder 1 to the decoder 2 via the transmission channel 4 . in the decoder 2 the encoded pictures are decoded to form uncompressed pictures corresponding as much as possible to the encoded pictures . the decoder 1 also includes a memory 2 . 3 and a processor 2 . 2 in which the decoding tasks according to the invention can be applied . the memory 2 . 3 and the processor 2 . 2 can be common with the receiving device 8 or the receiving device 8 can have another processor and / or memory ( not shown ) for other functions of the receiving device 8 . let us now consider the encoding - decoding process in more detail . pictures from the video source 3 are received by the encoder 1 and advantageously stored in the encoding buffer 1 . 1 . the encoding process is not necessarily started immediately after the first picture is received by the encoder , but after a certain amount of pictures are available in the encoding buffer 1 . 1 . then the encoder 1 tries to find suitable candidates from the pictures to be used as the reference frames . the encoder 1 then performs the encoding to form encoded pictures . the encoded pictures can be , for example , predicted pictures ( p ), bi - predictive pictures ( b ), and / or intra - coded pictures ( i ). the intra - coded pictures can be decoded without using any other pictures , but other type of pictures need at least one reference picture before they can be decoded . pictures of any of the above mentioned picture types can be used as a reference picture . the encoder advantageously attaches two time stamps to the pictures : a decoding time stamp ( dts ) and output time stamp ( ots ). the decoder can use the time stamps to determine the correct decoding time and time to output ( display ) the pictures . however , those time stamps are not necessarily transmitted to the decoder or it does not use them . the nal units can be delivered in different kind of packets . in this advantageous embodiment the different packet formats include simple packets and aggregation packets . the aggregation packets can further be divided into single - time aggregation packets and multi - time aggregation packets . the payload format of rtp packets is defined as a number of different payload structures depending on need . however , which structure a received rtp packet contains is evident from the first byte of the payload . this byte will always be structured as a nal unit header . the nal unit type field indicates which structure is present . the possible structures are : single nal unit packet , aggregation packet and fragmentation unit . the single nal unit packet contains only a single nal unit in the payload . the nal header type field will be equal to the original nal unit type , i . e ., in the range of 1 to 23 , inclusive . the aggregation packet type is used to aggregate multiple nal units into a single rtp payload . this packet exists in four versions , the single - time aggregation packet type a ( stap - a ), the single - time aggregation packet type b ( stap - b ), multi - time aggregation packet ( mtap ) with 16 bit offset ( mtap16 ), and multi - time aggregation packet ( mtap ) with 24 bit offset ( mtap24 ). the nal unit type numbers assigned for stap - a , stap - b , mtap16 , and mtap24 are 24 , 25 , 26 , and 27 respectively . the fragmentation unit is used to fragment a single nal unit over multiple rtp packets . it exists with two versions identified with the nal unit type numbers 28 and 29 . there are three cases of packetization modes defined for rtp packet transmission : the single nal unit mode is targeted for conversational systems that comply with itu - t recommendation h . 241 . the non - interleaved mode is targeted for conversational systems that may not comply with itu - t recommendation h . 241 . in the non - interleaved mode nal units are transmitted in nal unit decoding order . the interleaved mode is targeted for systems that do not require very low end - to - end latency . the interleaved mode allows transmission of nal units out of nal unit decoding order . the packetization mode in use may be signaled by the value of the optional packetization - mode mime parameter or by external means . the used packetization mode governs which nal unit types are allowed in rtp payloads . in the interleaved packetization mode , the transmission order of nal units is allowed to differ from the decoding order of the nal units . decoding order number ( don ) is a field in the payload structure or a derived variable that indicates the nal unit decoding order . the coupling of transmission and decoding order is controlled by the optional interleaving - depth mime parameter as follows . when the value of the optional interleaving - depth mime parameter is equal to 0 and transmission of nal units out of their decoding order is disallowed by external means , the transmission order of nal units conforms to the nal unit decoding order . when the value of the optional interleaving - depth mime parameter is greater than 0 or transmission of nal units out of their decoding order is allowed by external means , the order of nal units in an multi - time aggregation packet 16 ( mtap16 ) and an multi - time aggregation packet 24 ( mtap24 ) is not required to be the nal unit decoding order , and the order of nal units composed by decapsulating single - time aggregation packets b ( stap - b ), mtaps , and fragmentation units ( fu ) in two consecutive packets is not required to be the nal unit decoding order . the rtp payload structures for a single nal unit packet , an stap - a , and an fu - a do not include don . stap - b and fu - b structures include don , and the structure of mtaps enables derivation of don . if a transmitter wants to encapsulate one nal unit per packet and transmit packets out of their decoding order , stap - b packet type can be used . in the single nal unit packetization mode , the transmission order of nal units is the same as their nal unit decoding order . in the non - interleaved packetization mode , the transmission order of nal units in single nal unit packets and stap - as , and fu - as is the same as their nal unit decoding order . the nal units within a stap appear in the nal unit decoding order . due to the fact that h . 264 allows the decoding order to be different from the display order , values of rtp timestamps may not be monotonically non - decreasing as a function of rtp sequence numbers . the don value of the first nal unit in transmission order may be set to any value . values of don are in the range of 0 to 65535 , inclusive . after reaching the maximum value , the value of don wraps around to 0 . a video sequence according to this specification can be any part of nalu stream that can be decoded independently from other parts of the nalu stream . in the following the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the system of fig5 , the encoder 1 of fig6 and decoder 2 of fig7 . the pictures to be encoded can be , for example , pictures of a video stream on a signal received from a video source 3 , e . g . a camera , a video recorder , etc . the pictures ( frames ) of the video stream can be divided into smaller portions such as slices . the slices can further be divided into blocks . in the encoder 1 the video stream is encoded to reduce the information to be transmitted via a transmission channel 4 , or to a storage media ( not shown ). pictures of the video stream are input to the encoder 1 . the encoder has an encoding buffer 1 . 1 ( fig6 ) for temporarily storing some of the pictures to be encoded . the encoder 1 also includes a memory 1 . 3 and a processor 1 . 2 in which the encoding tasks according to the invention can be applied . the memory 1 . 3 and the processor 1 . 2 can be common with the transmitting device 6 or the transmitting device 6 can have another processor and / or memory ( not shown ) for other functions of the transmitting device 6 . the encoder 1 performs motion estimation and / or some other tasks to compress the video stream . in motion estimation similarities between the picture to be encoded ( the current picture ) and a previous and / or latter picture are searched . if similarities are found the compared picture or part of it can be used as a reference picture for the picture to be encoded . in jvt the display order and the decoding order of the pictures are not necessarily the same , wherein the reference picture has to be stored in a buffer ( e . g . in the encoding buffer 1 . 1 ) as long as it is used as a reference picture . the encoder 1 also inserts information on display order of the pictures into the transmission stream . a subset of pictures in multiple video sequences is depicted below in output order . the encoding ( and decoding ) order of these pictures is from left to right as follows : decoding order number ( don ) for a picture is equal to the value of don for the previous picture in decoding order plus one . the frame rate of the sequence is constant , each picture consists of only one slice , each slice is encapsulated in a single nal unit packet , pictures are transmitted in decoding order , and pictures are transmitted at constant intervals ( that is equal to 1 / frame rate ). the num - reorder - vcl - nal - units parameter is set to 0 , because no buffering is needed to recover the correct decoding order from transmission ( or reception order ). the decoder has to buffer for one picture interval initially in its decoded picture buffer to organize pictures from decoding order to output order as depicted below : the amount of required initial buffering in the decoded picture buffer can be signalled in the buffering period sei message or in the value of the num_reorder_frames syntax element of h . 264 video usability information . num_reorder_frames indicates the maximum number of frames , complementary field pairs , or non - paired fields that precede any frame , complementary field pair , or non - paired field in the sequence in decoding order and follow it in output order . for the sake of simplicity , it is assumed that num_reorder_frames is used to indicate the initial buffer in the decoded picture buffer . in this example , num_reorder_frames is equal to 1 . it can be observed that if the idr picture i00 is lost during transmission , and a retransmission request is issued when the value of the system clock is 62 , there is one picture interval of time ( until the system clock reaches timestamp 63 ) to receive the retransmitted idr picture i00 . let us then assume that idr pictures are transmitted two frame intervals earlier than their decoding position , i . e ., the pictures are transmitted in the following order : let variable id1 be specified according to prior art ( as disclosed in draft - ietf - avt - rtp - h264 - 01 . txt ), i . e ., it specifies the maximum amount of vcl nal units that precede any vcl nal unit in the nal unit stream in nal unit decoding order and follow the vcl nal unit in rtp sequence number order or in the composition order of the aggregation packet containing the vcl nal unit . let variable id2 be specified according to the present invention , i . e ., it specifies the maximum amount of vcl nal units that precede any vcl nal unit in the nal unit stream in transmission order and follow the vcl nal unit in decoding order . in the example , the value of id1 is equal to 2 and the value of id2 is equal to 1 . as already shown in section 2 , the value of id1 is not proportional to the time or buffering space required for initial buffering to reorder packets from reception order to decoding order . in this example , an initial buffering time equal to one picture interval is required to recover the decoding order as illustrated below ( the figure presents the output of the receiver buffering process ). this example also demonstrates that the value of initial buffering time and buffering space can be concluded according to the invention . again , an initial buffering delay of one picture interval is needed to organize pictures from decoding order to output order as depicted below : it can be observed that the maximum delay that idr pictures can undergo during transmission , including possible application , transport , or link layer retransmission , is equal to num_reorder_frames + id2 . thus , the loss resiliency of idr pictures is improved in systems supporting retransmission . the receiver is able to organize pictures in decoding order based on the value of don associated with each picture . the transmission and / or storing of the encoded pictures ( and the optional virtual decoding ) can be started immediately after the first encoded picture is ready . this picture is not necessarily the first one in decoder output order because the decoding order and the output order may not be the same . when the first picture of the video stream is encoded the transmission can be started . the encoded pictures are optionally stored to the encoded picture buffer 1 . 1 . the transmission can also start at a later stage , for example , after a certain part of the video stream is encoded . the decoder 2 should also output the decoded pictures in correct order , for example by using the ordering of the picture order counts . the de - packetization process is implementation dependent . hence , the following description is a non - restrictive example of a suitable implementation . other schemes may be used as well . optimizations relative to the described algorithms are likely possible . the general concept behind these de - packetization rules is to reorder nal units from transmission order to the nal unit delivery order . next , the operation of the receiver 8 will be described . the receiver 8 collects all packets belonging to a picture , bringing them into a reasonable order . the strictness of the order depends on the profile employed . the received packets are stored into the receiving buffer 9 . 1 ( pre - decoding buffer ). the receiver 8 discards anything that is unusable , and passes the rest to the decoder 2 . aggregation packets are handled by unloading their payload into individual rtp packets carrying nalus . those nalus are processed as if they were received in separate rtp packets , in the order they were arranged in the aggregation packet . hereinafter , let n be the value of the optional num - reorder - vcl - nal - units parameter ( interleaving - depth parameter ) which specifies the maximum amount of vcl nal units that precede any vcl nal unit in the packet stream in nal unit transmission order and follow the vcl nal unit in decoding order . if the parameter is not present , a 0 value number could be implied . when the video stream transfer session is initialized , the receiver 8 allocates memory for the receiving buffer 9 . 1 for storing at least n pieces of vcl nal units . the receiver then starts to receive the video stream and stores the received vcl nal units into the receiving buffer . the initial buffering lasts until at least n pieces of vcl nal units are stored into the receiving buffer 9 . 1 , or if max - don - diff mime parameter is present , until the value of a function don_diff ( m , n ) is greater than the value of max - don - diff , in which n corresponds to the nal unit having the greatest value of absdon among the received nal units and m corresponds to the nal unit having the smallest value of absdon among the received nal units , or until initial buffering has lasted for the duration equal to or greater than the value of the optional init - buf - time mime parameter . if don ( m )== don ( n ), don_diff ( m , n )= 0 if ( don ( m )& lt ; don ( n ) and don ( n )− don ( m )& lt ; 32768 ), don_diff ( m , n )= don ( n )− don ( m ) if ( don ( m )& gt ; don ( n ) and don ( m )− don ( n )& gt ;= 32768 ), don_diff ( m , n )= 65536 − don ( m )+ don ( n ) if ( don ( m )& lt ; don ( n ) and don ( n )− don ( m )& gt ;= 32768 ), don_diff ( m , n )=−( don ( m )+ 65536 − don ( n )) if ( don ( m )& gt ; don ( n ) and don ( m )− don ( n )& lt ; 32768 ), don_diff ( m , n )=−( don ( m )− don ( n )) where don ( i ) is the decoding order number of the nal unit having index i in the transmission order . a positive value of don_diff ( m , n ) indicates that the nal unit having transmission order index n follows , in decoding order , the nal unit having transmission order index m . absdon denotes such decoding order number of the nal unit that does not wrap around to 0 after 65535 . in other words , absdon is calculated as follows : let m and n are consecutive nal units in transmission order . for the very first nal unit in transmission order ( whose index is 0 ), absdon ( 0 )= don ( 0 ). for other nal units , absdon is calculated as follows : if don ( m )== don ( n ), absdon ( n )= absdon ( m ) if ( don ( m )& lt ; don ( n ) and don ( n )− don ( m )& lt ; 32768 ), absdon ( n )= absdon ( m )+ don ( n )− don ( m ) if ( don ( m )& gt ; don ( n ) and don ( m )− don ( n )& gt ;= 32768 ), absdon ( n )= absdon ( m )+ 65536 − don ( m )+ don ( n ) if ( don ( m )& lt ; don ( n ) and don ( n )− don ( m )& gt ;= 32768 ), absdon ( n )= absdon ( m )−( don ( m )+ 65536 − don ( n )) if ( don ( m )& gt ; don ( n ) and don ( m )− don ( n )& lt ; 32768 ), absdon ( n )= absdon ( m )−( don ( m )− don ( n )) where don ( i ) is the decoding order number of the nal unit having index i in the transmission order . when the receiver buffer 9 . 1 contains at least n vcl nal units , nal units are removed from the receiver buffer 9 . 1 one by one and passed to the decoder 2 . the nal units are not necessarily removed from the receiver buffer 9 . 1 in the same order in which they were stored , but according to the don of the nal units , as described below . the delivery of the packets to the decoder 2 is continued until the buffer contains less than n vcl nal units , i . e . n − 1 vcl nal units . the nal units to be removed from the receiver buffer are determined as follows : if the receiver buffer contains at least n vcl nal units , nal units are removed from the receiver buffer and passed to the decoder in the order specified below until the buffer contains n − 1 vcl nal units . if max - don - diff is present , all nal units m for which don_diff ( m , n ) is greater than max - don - diff are removed from the receiver buffer and passed to the decoder in the order specified below . herein , n corresponds to the nal unit having the greatest value of absdon among the received nal units . a variable ts is set to the value of a system timer that was initialized to 0 when the first packet of the nal unit stream was received . if the receiver buffer contains a nal unit whose reception time tr fulfills the condition that ts − tr & gt ; init - buf - time , nal units are passed to the decoder ( and removed from the receiver buffer ) in the order specified below until the receiver buffer contains no nal unit whose reception time tr fulfills the specified condition . the order that nal units are passed to the decoder is specified as follows . let pdon be a variable that is initialized to 0 at the beginning of the an rtp session . for each nal unit associated with a value of don , a don distance is calculated as follows . if the value of don of the nal unit is larger than the value of pdon , the don distance is equal to don − pdon . otherwise , the don distance is equal to 65535 − pdon + don + 1 . nal units are delivered to the decoder in ascending order of don distance . if several nal units share the same value of don distance , they can be passed to the decoder in any order . when a desired number of nal units have been passed to the decoder , the value of pdon is set to the value of don for the last nal unit passed to the decoder . the dpb 2 . 1 contains memory places for storing a number of pictures . those places are also called as frame stores in the description . the decoder 2 decodes the received pictures in correct order . the present invention can be applied in many kind of systems and devices . the transmitting device 6 including the encoder 1 advantageously include also a transmitter 7 to transmit the encoded pictures to the transmission channel 4 . the receiving device 8 include the receiver 9 to receive the encoded pictures , the decoder 2 , and a display 10 on which the decoded pictures can be displayed . the transmission channel can be , for example , a landline communication channel and / or a wireless communication channel . the transmitting device and the receiving device include also one or more processors 1 . 2 , 2 . 2 which can perform the necessary steps for controlling the encoding / decoding process of video stream according to the invention . therefore , the method according to the present invention can mainly be implemented as machine executable steps of the processors . the buffering of the pictures can be implemented in the memory 1 . 3 , 2 . 3 of the devices . the program code 1 . 4 of the encoder can be stored into the memory 1 . 3 . respectively , the program code 2 . 4 of the decoder can be stored into the memory 2 . 3 . | 7 |
the general configuration of the invention is illustrated in fig1 in which the room , generally at 10 , is raised above the existing floor 11 of the building by means which will be more fully elucidated in fig2 . the room rests upon and is suspended above a sheet of aluminum 12 which sits upon the existing floor 11 . the room is generally constructed of an outer enclosure 13 constructed of mumetal sheets , the thickness of which is determined by the amount of shielding required for the purpose of which the room is used . the mumetal sheets are each hydrogen annealed at a temperature of 2050 ° f . the walls , ceiling and floor of the outer enclosure are constructed of mumetal sheets comprised of individual squares 14 the dimensions of which are dependent upon the ultimate size of room desired and size of available stock materials . the individual sheets are punched and drilled prior to annealing and installation to provide optimum shielding without disturbing the annealing process . the sheets of mumetal are butted one against another to provide a minimum of space between , and are attached to one another by application of mumetal strips which overlap both edges of the abutted sheets . the mumetal strips are then covered by aluminum flat bar 15 and all thicknesses are clamped in place by use of self - tapping stainless steel screws . it should be noted that the sheets which comprise the floor of the outer enclosure have holes drilled through them to receive the doweling 16 as more fully described in fig2 . a wood lattice rests upon the floor of the outer enclosure , against the aluminum sheet , supporting the inner enclosure , and provides a buffer between the inner and outer enclosures from electrical contact . upon the wooden lattice is placed strips of nylon which are attached to the wooden lattice by brass wood screws . the nylon strips provide further electrical isolation , as well as provide ease of construction of the outer enclosure . the structural frame of the outer enclosure may be made of any non - ferris metal material , but in order to reduce or alleviate eddie currents , the frame must be constructed of a conductive material such as copper or aluminum . aluminum is used in the preferred embodiment and provides protection from not only eddie currents but from e waves , h waves , plain waves , johnson effect and radio frequencies as well . in addition to providing structural support , the aluminum sheets serve as the means for clamping the joints of the mumetal and aluminum strips and angles . the aluminum sheets are butt welded together to provide a continuous eddie current shield , as well as to shield from the above - mentioned waves . the inner room 17 is constructed in the reverse order as described for the outer enclosure in terms of materials such that the characteristic square arrangement 18 is visible within the room . in other words , to the aluminum sheets are attached the mumetal sheets , followed by placement and affixing of the mumetal and aluminum strips . this reverse construction is followed in order to provide maximum spacing for the mumetal sheets , but spacing there between can range from 1 / 4 inch to 96 inches . the spacing of the mumetal provides for a double shield in the magnetic frequency range . &# 34 ; i &# 34 ; beams 19 are welded to the outer surface of the ceiling of the inner enclosure , and provide maximum strength to the ceilings of the inner and outer enclosures when equipment is attached thereto . one or more large cable throughways 20 are constructed in the walls of the inner and outer enclosures , the design of which allows cables to be fed through a square mumetal lattice at the base of the cable penetration . the cables are then fed into a copper rfi - shielded plate which allows for cable penetration without radio frequency interference penetration . the cables are connected to the rfi panel , then a raised mumetal hood 21 is secured to the panel mumetal by means of the same clamping procedure described above for connection of the mumetal sheets . finally , a copper grounding strap ( not shown ) connects the two enclosures at one common point . this provides maximum shielding from all types of interferences . in fig2 a cross - sectional view of the room , it can be seen that the entire structure rests upon an aluminum sheet 12 which is placed directly on the floor 11 of the existing building . the outer enclosure 13 of the room is raised above the aluminum sheet 12 by means of pneumatic air isolators 25 , made of rubber or rubber - like material , which are equally spaced around the bottom of the outer enclosure . the pneumatic isolators reduce vibrational noise and decrease harmonic distortion . they also provide a buffer against vibration from earthquakes . the work floor of the room , generally at 26 , is raised above the floor of the inner enclosure 17 and floor of the outer enclosure 13 by means of a plurality of fiberglass dowel supports 16 . the fiberglass dowels , approximately 7 / 8 inch in diameter , are used to reduce vibrational noise and to electrically and mechanically isolate the work floor 26 from the inner enclosure 17 and outer enclosure 13 . each fiberglass dowel , at its lower end , rests within an sch40 aluminum pipe stub 29 approximately one inch high , each stub having been welded to the aluminum floor sheet 12 . each dowel passes through holes drilled in the floor of the outer enclosure and through holes drilled in the floor of the inner enclosure . the upper end of each dowel passes through a hole drilled through a 1 / 4 inch thick strip of aluminum flat bar 15 which runs the length of the room work floor and is attached to the underside of the floor . the uppermost end of each dowel is embedded into a one inch pipe stub 29 with a cap , which is itself embedded in the underside of the room floor . each pipe stub 29 is welded to the aluminum flat bar 15 . the floor of the room , generally at 26 , is raised approximately two inches above the mumetal 18 of the inner enclosure to protect the latter . the floor of the room is comprised of a one 3 / 4 inch thick sheet of plywood 33 , attached to another 3 / 4 inch sheet of plywood 34 , the two sheets being joined by construction glue and brass wood screws . the second sheet of plywood 34 provides added structural strength to the work floor . atop the upper sheet of plywood 34 is affixed an adhesive - type tile flooring 35 to protect the wood . from the view in fig2 the configuration of the mumetal sheets , aluminum structural frame , and sealing means is further illustrated . the mumetal sheets 14 are butted one against the other , and the seam produced thereby is sealed by a three inch wide strip of mumetal 37 laid on , and straddling the butted joint of mumetal sheets 14 . to the mumetal strip is then applied a pressure seal of aluminum flat bar 15 1 / 4 inch thick and two inches wide . it should be noted that aluminum flat bar covers all flat joints of the entire room construction . the aluminum flat bar 15 is attached to the mumetal strip by means of countersunk 316 series stainless self - tapping screws 39 . the screws also enter into a aluminum sheet 12 of the structural frame . with respect to the inner enclosure 17 , the mumetal sheets 18 can also be seen to be abutted and sealed by means of mumetal strips 37 and aluminum flat bar 15 , with the mumetal sheets being attached to the aluminum structural frame 43 . again it should be noted that the order of construction , in terms of materials , is reversed in the inner enclosure relative to the outer enclosure , as described above . upon the upper surface of the floor of the outer enclosure is a crossed network of wooden beams 44 which provides a support upon which the inner enclosure rests upon the outer enclosure . fig3 is a cross - sectional close - up view of a fiberglass dowel 16 shown passing through the mumetal sheets 14 and aluminum sheet 12 of the outer enclosure and the aluminum sheet 12 and mumetal sheets 14 of the inner enclosure . the upper end of the dowel passes through the aluminum flat bar 15 and is embedded into a pipe stub 29 which is embedded into the underside layer of plywood 33 which comprises the floor of the room . the aluminum flat bar is attached to the plywood by means of brass wood screws 53 . the penetrations for the dowels are both magnetically and rf protected via the magnetic wave guide 54 and the rf wave guide 55 . each fiberglass dowel also may have an rf wave guide built into it . this wave guide is constructed of 1 / 4 inch 20 tpi copper allthread rod which has been screwed into the fiberglass dowel . a 174 inch mesh copper screen is silver soldered to the copper allthread and the entirety is attached to the aluminum sheet 12 by means of 10 / 32 self - tapping stainless steel screws 39 . the use of the screen provides a flexibility such that the outer enclosure can move without the inner enclosure moving . this feature also prevents the residual stress risers from moving in the annealed mumetal sheets . notably , the hydrogen atmosphere in which the mumetal is annealed makes the annealing bond very brittle , and damage may occur through any stress or shock to the mumetal sheets . the floor of the room is illustrated in fig4 in which two layers of plywood 33 and 34 are joined by brass wood screws and construction glue , and a floor of vinyl or other suitable self - adhesive tiling 35 is placed over the top layer 34 of plywood for protection . the joining and sealing of the corners of the outer enclosures is illustrated in fig5 in which mumetal sheets 14 are abutted at a 90 degree angle . the aluminum structural sheet 12 is seen to underlay the mumetal sheets . the seam of the corner sheets is covered by a 11 / 2 inch mumetal angle strip 65 bent at 90 ° to which is applied a 11 / 2 inch aluminum angle 66 bent at 90 ° and the entirety is joined by the screws 39 described above with respect to all other joints . ( joined corners are cut at 45 °) this means of joining the corners prevents the formation of any gaps through which magnetic lines of flux might pass . fig6 illustrates the placement of the &# 34 ; i &# 34 ; beams 19 to the upper surface of the ceiling of the inner enclosure 67 to provide structural support to the roof of the inner enclosure when equipment is attached to the ceiling . the &# 34 ; i &# 34 ; beams are welded to the surface of the inner enclosure . along the length of the upper face of the &# 34 ; i &# 34 ; beam is placed a nylon insulating strip 70 to protect and isolate the inner surface of the roof of the outer enclosure 68 from the inner enclosure . fig7 illustrates the enclosure air vent system . the vent system consists of two identical wave guide systems 71 mounted on the outside mumetal sheet 72 of the outer enclosure , and the inside mumetal sheet 73 of the inside enclosure . these assemblies consist of two tubes 71 fabricated from mumetal , and welded to alternate sides of a perforated mumetal sheet 74 . perforations in the mumetal sheet are 1 / 4 with 1 / 8 spacing all around . an aluminum collar 75 is fabricated to fit around the mumetal tube . the assembly is mounted to the wall of either enclosure by drilling a hole through the mumetal sheets 72 , 73 and aluminum sheets 76 , 77 of the wall , and passing the short end of the tube through the wall . the aluminum collar 75 is passed over the tube and clamps the mumetal perforated sheet 74 to the mumetal 72 , 73 and aluminum 76 , 77 sheets of the wall using 10 - 32 stainless steel self - tapping screws 78 . prior to inserting the alternate vent assembly , a flexible all plastic spiral wound hose 79 is attached to the inside tube 71 of each assembly . then the remaining assembly is screwed to the remaining wall as described above . following the above steps an rf filter mesh is installed inside the exposed portion of each mumetal assembly ( not shown ). the outer hood of the cable feed - through port is illustrated in fig8 in which the hood 21 is attached to the outer wall 13 of the outer enclosure by means of screws 39 . the magnetic , shielding lattice 83 for ingress and egress of cable is disposed downwardly . as an alternative to the single layer mumetal sheets used in construction of the walls of the enclosures , as described above , the sheets may be comprised of multiple layers of laminated mumetal , as shown in fig9 . the laminated layers of metal 85 are bonded together by means of glue or other suitable bonding agent , preferably one which is highly permeable . the layers , arranged in overlapping and interlocking configuration , are then joined together by use of stainless steel rivets , screws , or any other austinetic fastener . the staggered or overlapping arrangement of the layers provides the required shielding protection without need for clamping . the number of layers required is dictated by the amount of shielding needed , and any of the metals of suitable permeability listed above may be utilized . rf shielding may or may not be used with this embodiment . when construction of the walls makes use of this embodiment , the penetrations and vents may be described above for the preferred embodiment using appropriate shielding methods , or the penetrations may be of a honeycomb - type configuration . in a further embodiment of this design , the laminated sheets are not overlapping or &# 34 ; stepped &# 34 ;. the bonding and joining is accomplished by the same means as described above for the overlapped design . fig1 illustrates an alternative design to that of the preferred embodiment in which multiple layers of mumetal 86 are installed on a structural support 87 without mumetal or aluminum clamping strips . the joint of any one layer is neither directly above , below , or parallel to the joint of the layer above ; see generally at 88 and 91 . corner pieces are prefabricated with three sides prior to annealing . the inner corner piece 89 is of a different size than the outer corner piece 90 in order to maintain the offset joint arrangement . fig1 illustrates another alternative for construction of the enclosures in which an aluminum frame 92 is constructed , and sheets of highly permeable mumetal screen 93 are attached thereto . the mumetal screen is coupled with rf screening ( not shown ). in a further alternative of this design , mumetal cloth , which is highly permeable and effective in shielding against frequency interference , is attached to the aluminum frame . fig1 is illustrative of an alternative design for joining the mumetal sheets 95 in which the sheets are joined in a staggered fashion using the same technique for sealing by use of mumetal strips and aluminum flat bar 96 as described for the preferred embodiment . the staggered arrangement provides less opportunity for the flux lines to penetrate the enclosure . there are a number of possible alternatives for design and features in addition to those described above . for example , the mumetal sheets , joined in any of the described alternative configurations , may be beveled along each edge in order to achieve greater surface contact between mumetal sheets . the work floor of the room , rather than being mechanically and electrically isolated as in the preferred embodiment , may be mechanically and electrically joined to the inner enclosure floor or may be isolated by means of any insulating material such as foam rubber or fiberglass insulation . use of the pneumatic isolators supporting the outer enclosure above the aluminum sheet is optional . further , the outer enclosure may be built directly on the existing floor of the building in which the room is placed . although the preferred embodiment is comprised of a series of enclosures within enclosures , the room may be constructed of a single enclosure , or more than two enclosures . the number of enclosures which may be used is limitless . the overall shape and dimension of the room may vary , and may be a square , rectangle , sphere , geodesic , or another shape . the thickness of the materials used may be from 0 . 0001 inch to 20 . 00 inches . substitution of suitable materials may occur in any part of the enclosure . either annealed or unannealed metals may be used . the mumetal may be joined in any manner including the use of rivets , screws , bolts , or bonding materials . the structural frame , aluminum in the preferred embodiment , may be of any structurally sound non - ferris material , including aluminum , copper coated aluminum , aluminum angle , channel , non - ferris pipe , or wood . an electronically developed field may be used in lieu of , or in combination with , metal shielding . this may be accomplished through the use of mylar / foil laminations , interwoven or overlapping , in a manner so as to create a magnetic field which funnels all magnetic interferences around the structure . electronic shielding may also be accomplished by enclosing the entire structure in an inductor and applying the appropriate current and frequency patterns to create a magnetic shield . the use of such a field would increase the magnetic protection from outside , but would also provide a source of interference to the inside of the structure . this interference could be diminished through physical distance and added use of conventional metal shielding materials . further , electronic shielding may be accomplished through the use of magnetized metal arranged in such a way as to provide flux line continuum around the entire structure . again , metal shielding would probably be necessary to some extent around the interior of the enclosure . | 7 |
a preferred embodiment of a conveyor 10 is illustrated in fig1 . the conveyor 10 comprises a main boom 12 and conveyor mechanism 28 , 128 , such as a belt or chain . the main boom 12 comprises a first end 14 and a second end 16 , and is attached to a base support . preferably , the conveyor 10 comprises means for adjusting the pitch of the main boom 12 vertically and for translating the main boom 12 radially or horizontally . in a preferred embodiment , a rotatable pedestal 24 of a type known in the art is attached near the first end 14 to a base support . the rotatable pedestal 24 provides radial movement of the main boom 12 . rotatable pedestal 24 also preferably includes at least one hydraulic actuator 22 that facilitates movement of the main boom 12 vertically . as such , the main boom 12 is preferably adjustable both vertically and horizontally . the controls for the rotatable pedestal 24 and hydraulic actuator 22 are both of a type generally known in the art . the main boom 12 additionally comprises upper or top surface 18 and lower or bottom surface 20 . an endless conveyor mechanism 28 , such as a belt , chain , or other structure known in the art may be operably attached to the main boom 12 , such that materials to be transported are loaded onto the upper surface 18 of the main boom 12 near the first end 14 . the materials are then conveyed toward the second end 16 of the main boom 12 and are unloaded accordingly . it is also contemplated that the main boom 12 may comprise a ladder device with rungs 128 in lieu of an endless conveyor mechanism 28 . referring now to fig2 , the conveyor 10 further comprises platform 30 , which may be extendable from the second end 16 and / or rotatable or pivotable downward from the main boom 12 . preferably , the platform 30 is of sufficient width to enable a person to walk across it . additionally , the platform is preferably constructed of a rigid material such as steel or aluminum alloy , although any sufficiently rigid material can be utilized without deviating from the scope of the present invention . the platform 30 is preferably pivotally attached at one end to a support means , which in fig2 is illustrated as carriage 40 . the carriage 40 is preferably rollably or slidably attached to the main boom 12 . in a preferred embodiment , the carriage 40 comprises inwardly - projecting flanges 42 that forms slots 44 . slots 44 receive outwardly - projecting flanges 26 on main boom 12 . in such an embodiment , carriage 40 is slidably attached to boom 12 . alternatively , a plurality of rollers could be utilized instead of flanges 26 , without deviating from the scope of the present invention . it is also contemplated that the carriage 40 may be fixed in relation to the boom , with the platform 30 being telescopically extendable . the platform 30 is preferably rotatably attached to carriage 40 at or near one end of the platform 30 , such that the platform is selectively pivotable downward . as such , the user can position the platform 30 to provide a more level walking surface for the person or persons approaching the main boom 12 to unload materials from the conveyor 10 . any rotatable connection as is known in the art may be utilized . a preferred embodiment for the rotatable connection comprises pins or rods 48 that are received in apertures ( not shown ) in the carriage 40 . to facilitate rotation of the platform 30 , a hydraulic actuator 46 may by attached to the carriage 40 on one end and to the underside of the platform on the other end , as illustrated in fig2 . in such an embodiment , retraction of the hydraulic actuator 46 causes downward rotation of the platform 30 . in the same manner , extension of the hydraulic actuator 46 causes the platform to rotate upwardly back to a position substantially parallel to main boom 12 . rather than carriage 40 , it is also contemplated that the platform 30 may be slidably or rollably attached to the main boom by any suitable support means as is known in the art , without deviating from the scope of the present invention . for example , the platform 30 may be supported by cage or track 126 and slidably or rollably extendible and retractable from the cage or track 126 . in such an embodiment , illustrated in fig6 , the platform 30 may be rotatably attached to a drive member 50 , such that after a predetermined critical distance of extension , when the joint between the platform and the drive member approaches the end of the cage or track 126 , the platform passively rotates downwardly . additionally , the platform 30 may be slidably or rollably attached to an elongated support means attached to the main boom 12 , such that the platform 30 is extendible and retractable along the length of the support means but not rotatable in relation to the support means . in such an embodiment , the support means , itself may be rotatable downwardly to adjust the angle of the platform 30 . extension and retraction of platform 30 is preferably hydraulically actuated . for example , carriage 40 may be translatable longitudinally in relation to the main boom 12 via opposing hydraulic winches 60 ( fig7 ) located at or near the ends of the main boom 12 . to translate the platform 30 , one winch 60 would wind its cable , while the opposing winch unwinds its cable . alternatively , the hydraulic actuator may be a hydraulic cylinder 52 having its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the main boom 12 . alternatively , extension and retraction of the platform 30 may be any other chain or winch drive as is known in the art . for example , opposing sides of the carriage 40 may be attached to chains or cables or the like . the chains or cables may additionally be attached to rotatable spools or drums , powered by any means known in the art , such that by winding the cable around one drum , while simultaneously unwinding the cable from the second drum translates the platform 30 forward or backward in relation to the main boom 12 . optionally , platform 30 may further comprise at least one stabilizing member or leg 38 . stabilizing member 38 is preferably adjustable or rotatable downwardly in relation to platform 30 . optional stabilizing leg 38 may be used , for example , when only one side of the platform is touching a surface such as a roof . in operation , the user first adjusts the elevation and direction of conveyor 10 . the conveyor can either be fixed , manually moveable , or attached to a vehicle 70 . after the elevation and direction of the conveyor 10 is selected , the user subsequently extends the platform 30 from the main boom 12 a predetermined distance , preferably via a hydraulic winch 60 , hydraulic cylinder 52 , or other chain or cable drive . after the platform 30 extends from the main boom 12 a predetermined distance , the user next rotates the platform 30 downwardly , with the end of the platform 30 resting on , if possible , a roof or other upper surface . it should be understood that if the platform 30 is extendible from a rotatable platform support , the user would rotate the platform support , itself , either before or after extension of the platform 30 . additionally , if the platform 30 is passively rotatable downwardly after extension a predetermined distance , the user only needs to extend the platform a predetermined distance to facilitate its rotation downwardly . if the platform 30 is angled such that only one side of the platform 30 is touching the roof , optional support leg 38 can be engaged downwardly to ensure that both sides of the platform 30 are supported by the roof . the forgoing disclosure is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof . although one or more embodiments of the invention have been described , persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that numerous modifications could be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosed invention . as such , it should be understood that all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention . the written description and drawings illustrate the present invention and are not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed . | 1 |
in order to make objects , technical details and advantages of the embodiments of the invention apparent , the technical solutions of the embodiment will be described in a clearly and fully understandable way in connection with the drawings related to the embodiments of the invention . it is obvious that the described embodiments are just a part but not all of the embodiments of the invention . based on the described embodiments herein , those skilled in the art can obtain other embodiment ( s ), without any inventive work , which should be within the scope of the invention . an embodiment of the invention provides a touch substrate , which comprises a substrate , and a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes disposed on the substrate and as intersecting each other . in the embodiment of the invention , the first electrode and the second electrode contact each other at intersecting positions and form heterojunction . those skilled in the art would understand that the heterojunction may be an area formed by contact of two kinds of semiconductor materials , i . e ., a p - n junction , or may be an area formed by contact of a conductor and a semiconductor , i . e ., a schottky junction . the heterojunction has a unidirectional conduction property , that is , the two kinds of materials forming the heterojunction will not conduct each other even if they contact . in the embodiments of the invention , the heterojunctions are formed at intersecting positions where the first electrode contacts the second electrode by taking advantage of the unidirectional conduction property of the heterojunction , and a space charge region ( the space charge region is a virtual region ) is formed in accordance with heterojunction theory , thereby preventing the current transmission along the vertical direction at intersecting positions where the first electrode contacts the second electrode . as a result , the signals respectively transmitted in the first electrodes and the second electrodes will not interfere each other , which further eliminates the insulation layer needed to separate the layer having the first electrode from the layer having the second electrode , thus simplifying the fabrication process . in the meantime , the stacked structure at the position of bridge connection on the touch substrate in conventional technology no longer exists , solving the visibility of the bridge connection spot , and enhancing the anti - esd performance . the embodiment of the invention provides a touch substrate , which comprises a substrate 9 , a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes disposed on the substrate 9 and as intersecting each other . as illustrated in fig4 to 6 , in the embodiment of the invention , a drive electrode 1 is the first electrode , a sense electrode 2 is the second electrode ; the first electrode is made of a metal material and the second electrode is made of a semiconductor material such as graphene . the above configuration is due to the following consideration : when the second electrode is made of the semiconductor material graphene and the first electrode is made of a metal material , the resistance of the first electrode is relatively smaller than that of the second electrode . as the drive electrodes 1 generally need lower resistance to enhance its loading ability to load a relatively larger signal , the first electrode is more suitable as the drive electrode 1 . it can be understood that , it is also possible to use the sense electrode 2 as the first electrode and the drive electrode 1 as the second electrode , as long as the connection relation between the electrodes and the touch chip is changed , which will not be elaborated herein . in the embodiment of the invention , the drive electrode 1 is the first electrode , and the sense electrode 2 is the second electrode . accordingly , the drive sub - electrode 1 - 1 is the first sub - electrode , and the sense sub - electrode 2 - 1 is the second sub - electrode . each of the drive electrodes 1 comprises a plurality of drive sub - electrodes 1 - 1 , and the neighboring drive sub - electrodes 1 - 1 are connected to each other through the first connection portion 1 - 2 . each of the sense electrodes 2 comprises a plurality of sense sub - electrodes 2 - 1 , and the neighboring sense sub - electrodes 2 - 1 are connected to each other through the second connection portion 2 - 2 . moreover , the first connection portion 1 - 2 of the drive electrodes 1 intersects with and contacts the second connection portion 2 - 2 of the sense electrodes 2 . furthermore , a structure of the drive sub - electrodes 1 - 1 is for example a metal mesh , thereby reducing the resistance of the drive electrodes 1 , and increasing the aperture ratio . the touch substrate typically comprises a plurality of “ sub - electrodes ” disposed spaced from each other , and the structure of the sub - electrodes may be rhombus , thus filling up the touch substrate . furthermore , the plurality of drive sub - electrodes 1 - 1 disposed in one row is connected to each other through the first connection portions 1 - 2 , thus forming one of drive electrodes 1 ; and the plurality of sense sub - electrodes 2 - 1 disposed in one column is connected to each other through the second connection portions 2 - 2 , thus forming one of sense electrodes 2 . it is seen that capacitors may be formed at adjacent marginal regions of the sense sub - electrodes 2 - 1 and the drive sub - electrodes 1 - 1 , thereby functioning for touching . as the first connection portion 1 - 2 of the drive electrodes 1 intersects with and contacts the second connection portion 2 - 2 of the sense electrodes 2 , the sense electrodes 2 may be fabricated above the drive electrodes 1 directly . in this sense , the fabricating of the insulation layer disposed between the first connection portions 1 - 2 and the second connection portions 2 - 2 in conventional technology is omitted , thereby simplifying the fabricating process while making the touch substrate thinner . that is , the heterojunctions are formed at positions where the first connection portion 1 - 2 intersects with and contacts the second connection portion 2 - 2 . as the material of the first connection portions 1 - 2 is metal and the material of the second connection portions 2 - 2 is graphene which is a semiconductor material , the heterojunctions are schottky junctions . as a result , both the first connection portions 1 - 2 and the second connection portions 2 - 2 are unidirectionally conductive . it can be understood that , the drive electrodes 1 and the sense electrodes 2 are unidirectionally conductive , therefore the signals transmitted in the drive electrodes 1 and the sense electrodes 2 will not interfere each other , and the anti - esd ability is increased . it can be understood that , as long as the heterojunctions are formed at positions where the first electrode intersects with and contacts the second electrodes , the first and second electrodes will not conduct with each other , thus the signals transmitted in the first electrodes and second the electrodes will not interfere each other . as a result , in the embodiment of the invention , the first sub - electrodes , the first connection portions 1 - 2 and the second sub - electrodes are made of metal materials , and the second connection portions 2 - 2 are made of semiconductor materials . alternatively , it is also possible that the second sub - electrodes , the second connection portions 2 - 2 and the first sub - electrodes are made of metal materials , and the first connection portions 1 - 2 are made of semiconductor materials . as illustrated in fig7 , the embodiment of the invention provides a touch substrate , which differs from the touch substrate of the embodiment 1 in that the drive electrodes 1 are made of an n - doped semiconductor material and the sense electrodes 2 are made of a p - doped semiconductor material . as an example , the drive electrodes 1 are made of nitrogen - doped graphene , and the sense electrodes 2 are made of phosphorus - doped graphene . it is similar to the above - mentioned touch substrate in that each of the drive electrodes 1 in the present touch substrate preferably comprises a plurality of drive sub - electrodes 1 - 1 , the neighboring drive sub - electrodes 1 - 1 are connected to each other through first connection portion 1 - 2 ; each of the sense electrodes 2 comprises a plurality of sense sub - electrodes 2 - 1 ; the neighboring sense sub - electrodes 2 - 1 are connected to each other through second connection portion 2 - 2 ; and the first connection portion 1 - 2 of the drive electrodes 1 intersects with and contacts the second connection portion 2 - 2 of the sense electrodes 2 . in this case , considering that the drive electrodes 1 are made of an n - doped semiconductor material and the sense electrodes 2 are made of a p - doped semiconductor material , the heterojunction formed at positions where the first connection portion 1 - 2 intersects with and contacts the second connection portions 2 - 2 is p - n junction , thereby the first connection portion 1 - 2 and the second connection portion 2 - 2 are both unidirectionally conductive . it can be understood that since the drive electrodes 1 and the sense electrodes 2 are unidirectionally conductive , the signals transmitted in the drive electrodes 1 and the sense electrodes 2 will not interfere each other , and the anti - esd ability is enhanced . it can be understood that , as long as the heterojunctions are formed at positions where the first electrode intersects with and contacts the second electrode , the first electrode and the second electrode will not conduct to each other , thus the signals transmitted in the first electrodes and the second electrodes will not interfere each other . that is , in the embodiment of the invention , one of the first connection portions 1 - 2 and second connection portions 2 - 2 intersecting each other is made of an n - doped semiconductor material and the other is made of a p - doped semiconductor material . therefore , the first sub - electrodes and the second sub - electrodes may also be made of metal materials . the difference is that the fabricating process is a bit more complicated . the above embodiments may have various modifications . as an example , each of the sub - electrodes has a shape of a strip and the like . meanwhile , it is noted that the semiconductor materials used in the embodiments , being they n - doped or p - doped , are all heavily doped materials , thus guaranteeing good conductivity of the semiconductor materials . those skilled in the art would understand that the conductivity of heavily doped semiconductor material is equal to that of conductors &# 39 ;. the embodiment of the invention provides a display device , which comprises any of the above touch substrate . the display device may be a lcd display panel , an e - paper , an oled panel , a mobile phone , a tablet pc , a television , a display , a laptop computers , a digital photo frame , a navigator or any products or components with a display function . what is described above is related to the illustrative embodiments of the disclosure only and not limitative to the scope of the disclosure ; the scopes of the disclosure are defined by the accompanying claims . this application claims the priority of chinese patent application no . 201410531442 . 9 , filed on oct . 10 , 2014 , and which application is incorporated herein by reference . | 6 |
an embodiment of the invention will be described herein below with reference to the drawings . fig2 shows an example of a computer system for carrying out the invention . the computer system has a microprocessor 201 including a cache memory 202 , a main memory 203 , and a disk 204 . a program is stored in the disk 204 . a compiler and a source program are stored in the disk 204 and loaded to the processor 201 to perform a compiling process . a program for a result of compiling is stored in the disk 204 , similarly , loaded to the processor 201 and executed . in the case of executing a normal memory referring instruction by the processor 201 , first , whether data to be referred to exists in the cache memory 202 or not is checked . if the data exists in the cache memory 202 , the data is referred to . if the data to be referred to does not exist in the cache memory 202 , the data on the main memory 203 is referred to and a copy of a cache line to which the data is belonging is stored in the cache memory 202 . since the cache memory is referred to at speed higher than the main memory , when data to be referred to exists on the cache memory , waiting time which occurs by referring to the memory can be reduced . a prefetch instruction is an instruction for moving the cache line to which data to be referred to belongs from the main memory 203 to the cache memory 202 concurrently with execution of another instruction . by issuing a prefetch instruction in advance only by the number of cycles sufficient to move the cache line from the main memory 203 to the cache memory 202 , another instruction can be executed during transfer of data from the main memory 203 to the cache memory 202 , so that waiting time for referring to the data is eliminated . fig1 shows an example of the structure of the flow of an optimization process of a compiler which carries out the invention . in fig1 , solid lines indicate the flow of control , and broken lines indicate the flow of data . although the flow of the optimization process of the compiler generally includes various optimization processes , only processes related to the present invention are shown here . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , an optimization processing 101 for generating a prefetch instruction for indirect reference is applied to an intermediate language 105 to generate an intermediate language 109 . in the optimization processing 101 , first , the intermediate language 105 is analyzed by a loop structure recognition processing 102 to recognize a loop in the program , and an intermediate language 106 and a loop table 108 are generated . subsequently , in an indirect reference recognition processing 103 , an analysis is made regarding the loop recognized by the loop structure recognition processing 102 to recognize indirect reference in the loop . in an indirect reference prefetch generation processing 104 , a prefetch instruction for the recognized indirect reference is generated , and the optimized intermediate language 109 is generated . among the above processings , the loop structure recognition processing 102 and the indirect reference recognition processing 103 can be performed by conventional techniques as disclosed in , for example , “ compilers : principles , techniques and tools ”, by a . v . aho et al ., addison - wesley , 1986 ( chapter 9 : code generation , pp . 513 – 584 , and chapter 10 : code optimization , pp . 585 – 722 . fig4 shows the flow of the indirect reference prefetch generation processing 104 as a process characterizing the invention . the indirect reference prefetch generation processing 104 is started in step 401 . in step 402 , a loop set in the program is assigned to a variable l by referring to the loop table 108 in fig1 . in step 403 , whether the set l is an empty set or not is determined . if no loop to be processed exists , the control shifts to step 410 where the processing is finished . if there is a loop to be processed , one element is taken out from l and assigned to a variable l . in step 405 , with reference to the result of the indirect reference recognition processing 103 in fig1 , an indirect reference set in an loop l is assigned to a variable m . in step 406 , whether the set m is an empty set or not is checked . if yes , the control is shifted to step 403 and the next loop is processed . if no , the control is shifted to step 407 where one indirect reference is taken out from the set m and assigned to a variable m . in step 408 , the indirect reference assigned to the variable m is checked to see whether the reference to ( m ) is continuous or not . if yes , an effect of hiding the cycle of referring to the main memory by prefetching can be expected , so that the control is shifted to step 409 where a prefetch instruction for indirect reference is generated . if no , the effect of hiding the cycle of referring to the main memory by prefetching cannot be expected , so that the control is shifted to step 406 where the next indirect reference is processed . with respect to the generation of a prefetch instruction in step 409 , by using techniques as disclosed in literature by v . santhanam et al ., “ data prefetching on the hp pa - 8000 ”, in proceedings of the 24th annual international symposium on computer architecture , pp . 264 – 273 , 1997 , issuing of a prefetch instruction for referring to the same cache line is reduced and a prefetch instruction is generated . in step 408 , whether the indirect reference in the loop is continuous or not is determined . as described above , the invention has been achieved by paying attention that the values of elements of an index array are not completely discrete values but almost continuous values when seen locally such as { 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 56 . . . }. in the example , the values have to be determined as “ continuous ” without regarding the gap between 10 and 50 . ( 1 ) automatic determination by analyzing code of a source program ( 2 ) instruction by the user as a compiler option ( 3 ) instruction by the user on source code by a compiler directive ( 4 ) user &# 39 ; s dialogue instruction on presented source code fig5 shows the processing flow 408 of the case ( 1 ) where automatic analysis is made by the compiler . the automatic analyzing process of fig5 is started in step 501 , and an array to be analyzed is assigned to a variable m in step 502 . subsequently , in step 503 , an expression for defining ( m ) is obtained and assigned to a variable ( e ). in step 504 , the equation ( e ) is a linear expression of “ i * α + β ” or not is checked . it is assumed that ( i ) denotes here a recurrence variable . if the expression is not a linear expression , the control shifts to step 507 where it is determined that ( m ) is not continuous . the control shifts to step 508 and the processing is finished . if the expression is a linear expression , whether an increment value | α | of ( e ) is less than a predetermined value or not is determined . if yes , the control shifts to step 506 where ( m ) is determined as continuous . in step 508 , the processing is finished . if | α | is not less than the predetermined value , the control is shifted to step 507 where ( m ) is determined as discontinuous , and the processing is finished in step 508 . as an example , it is assumed that the loop for defining the index array l is that shown in fig8 . since the expression of defining an index of l is “ i * 2 ”, it is understood that the increment value of the index is 2 . when it is assumed that a determination value of the threshold for determining continuity is 4 , the indirect reference using l as an index array is recognized as an object to which prefetching is applied . fig6 shows an example of an instruction by the compiler option of ( 2 ) described above . in the example , the increment value of the index array l is indicated as 2 by an option . a compiler determines whether prefetching can be applied or not on the basis of the increment value in a manner similar to the case of the above - described automatic analysis . similarly , fig7 shows an example of use of the compiler directive in the above - stated ( 3 ). in the example , the directive of “* option increase ( l , 2 )” indicates that the increment value of the index array l in the subsequent loop is 2 . in a manner similar to the example of fig5 , on the basis of the increment value , whether prefetching can be applied or not is determined . in the case where the user give a directive instruction to a loop as shown in fig7 , the user may describe the directive directly in the source program . as described in ( 4 ), when a loop including an indirect reference recognized in the indirect reference recognizing process 103 in fig1 is displayed on the display of a computer , it is also possible that the user instructs prediction of a change amount of the index with respect to each indirect reference in an interactive manner . fig9 shows code as a result of realizing optimization by applying the invention to the case of fig3 a . it is assumed that the increment value of the index array l of indirect reference a [ l [ i ]] is found to be 2 as a result of automatic analysis of the index array or analysis of a user instruction by a directive or the like . assuming now that the size of the cache line is 32 bytes and the length of data to be referred to is 4 bytes , when the loop is unrolled four times and , as shown in fig9 , prefetching of the arrays l and a is performed each time the original source code is repeated four times . consequently , as obviously understood in comparison with fig3 c that , while reducing an instruction overhead caused by prefetching , prefetching of the indirect reference can be performed . according to the invention , by effectively applying data prefetching to a program which performs indirect array reference , the execution performance of the program can be improved . | 6 |
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . hereinafter , an external operating handle mechanism for a mold cased circuit breaker in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will now be explained in detail with reference to the attached drawings . referring to fig3 , an external operating handle mechanism 20 for a mold cased circuit breaker in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may include : an external operating handle 22 ; a pinion gear 110 coupled to the external operating handle 22 to thus rotate in response to a rotation of the external operating handle 22 ; a movable member 120 having a rack gear portion coupled to the pinion gear to linearly move according to the rotation of the pinion gear , and having a handle connecting portion connected to a handle 15 ( refer to fig5 ) of the mold cased circuit breaker 8 ( refer to fig1 ) to thus allow the handle 15 of the mold cased circuit breaker 8 to linearly move ; and a pair of guide rail members 130 as guide members for guiding the linear movement of the movable member 120 . as illustrated in fig3 , unexplained reference numeral 21 denotes a case for supporting the components of the external operating handle mechanism 20 and for coupling the external operating handle mechanism 20 to the mold cased circuit breaker 8 for installation thereof . also , reference numeral 21 a denotes a screw hole for inserting a coupling member such as a screw therein to thus couple the case 21 to the mold cased circuit breaker 8 . preferably , four screw holes 21 a are provided at a bottom surface of the case 21 . reference numeral 22 a denotes a pair of power transferring shafts extending downwardly from the bottom surface of the external operating handle 22 and inserted into connecting holes 110 b ( refer to fig6 ) formed at the pinion gear 110 . reference numeral 100 denotes a converting unit for converting a rotative power of the external operating handle 22 including the pinion gear 110 , the movable member 120 and the guide rail member 130 into a linear power . reference numeral 124 denotes a spring support for supporting one end portion of a spring s ( refer to fig7 b and 8b ) which biases the movable member 120 toward an off - position . the other end portion of the spring s is supported by a spring support ( not designated as reference numeral ) provided at the case 21 as shown in fig7 b . the external operating handle mechanism 22 , for example , is a type of device which protrudes outwardly from a front panel 9 ( refer to fig1 ) of a power system such as a power distributing board so as to allow a user to grab and rotate a handle of the mold cased circuit breaker to an on - position or an off - position . the external operating handle mechanism 22 is rotatably installed at an upper surface of the case 21 . on the other hand , fig4 is a perspective view illustrating a detailed construction of the movable member 120 according to the present invention , which will be explained in more detail . as illustrated in fig4 , the movable member 120 may include a body 121 , and guide shoes 123 a , 123 b , 123 c and 123 d protruding outwardly from both side surfaces of the body 121 , respectively , and corresponding to the guide rail members 130 . referring to fig4 , the guide shoes 123 a and 123 b at a right side of the body 121 are provided between an inner wall surface of a guide shoe block 123 and a right outer wall surface of the body 121 , and more particularly , provided to protrude outwardly from predetermined upper and lower positions on the inner wall surface of the guide shoe block 123 . a space formed between the guide shoe 123 b and the right outer wall surface of the body 121 has a width greater than a thickness of the guide rail member 130 by a predetermined gap . accordingly , it is possible to insert the guide rail member 130 into the space formed between the guide shoe 123 b and the right outer wall surface of the body 121 upon assembling the movable member 120 to the guide rail member 130 . also , the right guide shoes 123 a and 123 b are spaced from each other with a gap greater than a height of the guide rail member 130 . as illustrated in fig3 , the left side guide shoes of the body 121 , although only the guide shoe block 123 is shown in fig4 , include the guide shoe 123 c extending in an alphabet “ l ” shape from the left side wall surface of the body 121 , and the guide shoe 123 d protruding horizontally from the lower portion of the left side wall surface of the body 121 by a predetermined length . a spaced distance between the guide shoes 123 c and 123 d is greater than a thickness of the guide rail member 130 so as to allow the guide rail member 130 to be inserted therein . the body 121 is a generally square shaped block . a handle connecting hole 121 a which has the generally square shape corresponding to the end portion shape of the handle of the mold cased circuit breaker is formed at the center of the block body 121 , and a handle contact wall portion 121 b contacts with the handle of the mold cased circuit breaker to pressurize the handle of the mold cased circuit breaker and thus to allow the handle thereof to move . a rack gear portion 122 is provided at one side of an upper surface of the body 121 to be meshed with the pinion gear 110 shown in fig3 and thus to convert the rotative power transferred from the pinion gear 110 into a linear power . fig5 is a perspective view showing a handle 15 of the mold cased circuit breaker is coupled to the handle connecting hole 121 a of the movable member 120 according to the present invention viewed from the bottom . referring to fig5 , a connection between the external operating handle mechanism according to the present invention and the handle of the mold cased circuit breaker and an operation thereof will now be explained . an operating lever portion 15 a of the handle 15 of the mold cased circuit breaker is penetratingly inserted into the handle connecting hole 121 a formed at the center of the movable member 120 , thereby connecting the external operating handle mechanism according to the present invention to the handle of the mold cased circuit breaker . when the user grabs and rotates the external operating handle 22 in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction to move it to an on - position or an off - position thereof , the pinion gear 110 rotates in the same direction as the external operating handle 22 . the movable member 120 connected by the pinion gear 110 and the rack gear portion 122 linearly moves forwardly or backwardly . as a result , the operating lever portion 15 a of the handle 15 of the mold cased circuit breaker inserted into the handle connecting hole 121 a of the movable member 120 is pressurized by the handle contact wall portion 121 b to thus move , and accordingly the handle 15 of the mold cased circuit breaker moves in a direction of arrow “ d ” or a direction of arrow “ e ” to thus move to its on / off - position . fig6 , on the other side , is a perspective view illustrating only several main parts separately , in particular , a movable member , a pinion gear and a guide member assembled with one another in order to explain an assembly and an operation of the main components of an external operating handle mechanism according to the present invention . with reference to fig6 , such main parts will now be explained , beginning with an assembling procedure therebetween . a pair of power transfer shafts 22 a ( refer to fig3 ) of the external operating handle 22 are inserted into a pair of connecting holes 110 b of the pinion gear 110 corresponding thereto , respectively , to thus assemble the pinion gear 110 to the external operating handle 22 . afterwards , a rack gear portion 122 is installed to be meshed with a teeth portion 110 a of the pinion gear 110 . even in this state , two upper and lower guide rail members 130 illustrated in fig6 are inserted respectively between the guide shoes 123 c and 123 d illustrated in fig3 and between the guide shoe 123 b illustrated in fig4 and a right side outer wall of the body 121 . at this time , the two guide rail members 130 should be installed to be maintained in parallel therewith . next , screws ( not shown ) are inserted into screw inserting holes 132 of fixing members 132 a provided at both end portions of each guide rail member 130 . each screw is supported by a screw support ( not shown ) provided at the case 21 to correspond to the screw inserting hole 132 a . accordingly , as illustrated in fig7 b and 8b , the guide rail members 130 are fixed and the assemble is completed . a spring s for biasing the movable member 120 to the off - position may be selectively provided . at this time , one end portion of the spring s is supported by the spring support 124 of fig3 and the other portion thereof is supported by a spring support ( not shown ) of the case 21 as illustrated in fig7 b . in the assembly of the pinion gear 110 , the movable member 120 , and the guide rail members 130 , upon rotating the external operating handle 22 in the counterclockwise direction , the pinion gear 110 rotates in the counterclockwise direction shown in fig6 ( i . e ., a direction of arrow b ). thereafter , the movable member 120 meshed with the pinion gear 110 by the rack gear portion 122 linearly moves toward a right direction shown in fig6 , namely , toward the direction of arrow c . upon rotating the external operating handle 22 in the clockwise direction , the movable member 120 linearly moves toward a left direction shown in fig6 . at this time , the pair of the guide rail members 130 guide the movable member 120 to linearly move accurately . hereinafter , an operation of the external operating handle mechanism 20 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will now be explained . fig7 a is a plane view illustrating a position of an external operating handle when the external operating handle mechanism is in a turn - on state according to the present invention , fig7 b is a bottom view illustrating a moving position of a movable member relative to a pinion gear and a guide rail when the external operating handle mechanism is in the turn - on state according to the present invention , fig8 a is a plane view illustrating a position of the external operating handle when the external operating handle mechanism is in a turn - off state according to the present invention , and fig8 b is a bottom view illustrating a moving position of the movable member relative to the pinion gear and the guide rail when the external operating handle mechanism is in the turn - off state according to the present invention . an explanation will now be made with reference to fig7 a to 8b . upon desiring to move the mold cased circuit breaker from its on - position to its off - position , the user grabs the external operating handle 22 in a state in which the external operating handle 22 is positioned as illustrated in fig7 a , and then rotates it in the clockwise direction ( e . g ., by 135 °). the external operating handle 22 is then positioned in the state as illustrated in fig8 a . at this time , the pinion gear 110 rotates in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing together with the external operating handle 22 , and thus the movable member 120 positioned at an upper portion thereof moves toward a lower portion as illustrated in fig8 b . at this time , the pair of guide rail members 130 guide the movable member 120 to linearly move . as the movable member 120 moves downwardly , the handle 15 of the mold cased circuit breaker connected to the movable member 120 by being inserted into the handle contacting hole 121 a of the movable member 120 moves to the off - position for breaking a circuit . at this time , an energized elastic force of the spring s accelerates a moving speed of the external operating handle 22 and the handle 15 of the mold cased circuit breaker toward the off - position thereof , so that the mold cased circuit breaker is positioned in a state shown in fig8 b . accordingly , the off - operation of the mold cased circuit breaker using the external operating handle is completed . the converting of the mold cased circuit breaker from the off - position into the on - position is operated in an opposite way to the aforementioned way . that is , the user grabs the external operating handle 22 in a state that the external operating handle 22 is positioned as illustrated in fig8 a , and rotates it in the clockwise direction ( e . g ., by 135 °). the external handle 22 is then positioned as illustrated in fig7 a . at this time , the pinion gear 110 rotates in the clockwise direction in the drawing together with the external operating handle 22 , and thus the movable member 120 positioned at the lower portion thereof moves to the upper position as illustrated in fig7 b . at this time , the pair of guide rail members 130 guide the movable member 120 to linearly move . as the movable member 120 moves upwardly , the handle 15 of the mold cased circuit breaker connected to the movable member 120 by being inserted into the handle connecting hole 121 a of the movable member 120 moves toward the on - position for connecting a circuit . at this time , the spring s is in a state of being extended as illustrated in fig7 b . here , because the elastic force of the spring s is smaller than a force for moving the movable member 120 coupled to the pinion gear 110 , the spring s can continuously be energized with the elastic force . therefore , the on - operation of the mold cased circuit breaker using the external operating handle is completely performed . as aforementioned , the external operating handle mechanism for the mold cased circuit breaker in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may have the following effects . first , because a converting unit has only one rotational center to convert the rotative power of the external operating handle into the linear moving force to transfer the linear moving force to the handle of the mold cased circuit breaker , the stroke required for an operation of the handle of the mold cased circuit breaker and the operational range of the external operating handle according to the stroke can effectively be controlled . also , the one rotational center allows an efficient transfer of power from the external operating handle to the handle of the mold cased circuit breaker without a great power loss . therefore , upon performing a reset operation requiring for a great power , deformation may occur in the handle lever or other moldings which causes a reset defect . second , because power is transferred from the operating handle to the handle of the mold cased circuit breaker via the pinion gear and the rack gear portion , transferring of the power can be improved as compared with the prior art operating handle . also using of the gear makes it effective to reduce variation and error of the operational position and the stroke . third , an operating lever portion of the handle of the mold cased circuit breaker is surface - contacted with the handle connecting hole of the rack gear portion , and accordingly it is effective to reduce the deformation of the molding as compared to the handle operation structure by the point - contact according to the prior art . as the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof , it should also be understood that the above - described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description , unless otherwise specified , but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims , and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims , or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims . | 7 |
the ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids suitable for use herein include acrylic , maleic , methacrylic , crotonic , fumaric , itaconic , citraconic and / or aconitic acids and mixtures thereof . however the acids are not restricted to being mono or dicarboxylic . acrylic , maleic and methacrylic acids are preferred . the preferred esters are the methyl , ethyl butyl and propyl derivatives . preferred copolymers are those of acrylic acid with ethyl acrylate or methyl methylacrylate with the copolymer of acrylic acid and methyl methacrylate being most preferred . as noted previously , in the broadest scope of the invention , the mole percentage of the acid in the copolymer is 33 to 95 %, preferably 60 to 85 % with the ester comprising the remainder of the polymer . in the embodiment wherein a third ethylenically unsaturated comonomer is present , the acid is used in amount of 45 to 90 mole %, preferably 60 to 80 %, the ester in an amount of 5 to 50 mole %, preferably 10 to 30 , and the third comonomer in an amount of 5 to 50 mole %, preferably 10 to 30 %. suitable polymers may be made by the copolymerization of the alkyl ester with the ethylenically unsaturated acid and , optionally the third monomer , using methods known in polymerization technology . the resultant copolymer or terpolymer may be neutralized with a suitable base such as sodium hydroxide or other soluble base to form a soluble salt and diluted with water to the required concentration for use in the cementiferous compositions and plasticizer additives provided by this invention . representative salt cations are preferably alkali metal , e . g . sodium , potassium , alkaline earth metals e . g . calcium , magnesium , organic bases , e . g . amines and their derivatives , and ammonia . absolute molecular weights of the polymers of this invention have not been determined . however , apparent molecular weights as calculated relative to sodium polyacrylate standards have been determined using gel permeation chromatography . the apparent molecular weight of the copolymer may be varied over a wide range , the preferred range being 1000 to 15000 , more preferably 1000 to 9000 . precise molecular weights have not been determined for all the copolymers used but in some cases viscosity determinations have been carried out . the preferred viscosity is less than 30 cps as a 15 % by weight aqeuous solution in 1 molar nac1 as measured by a brookfield viscometer model lvt with uv adaptor at 65 rpm and 25 ° c . the water soluble copolymer or salt thereof is used as a plasticizer additive in cementiferous compositions in amount of 0 . 01 to 2 . 5 % by weight , preferably 0 . 03 to 2 . 0 %, of the cement . examples of sodium salts of the copolymers and terpolymers and their application in cementiferous compositions will now be given to illustrate but not limit the invention . ______________________________________portland cement 350 kg / m . sup . 3gravel ( 20 mm ) 780 kg / m . sup . 3gravel ( 10 mm ) 330 kg / m . sup . 3sand 700 kg / m . sup . 3water / cement ratio 0 . 57______________________________________ the aggregate ( gravels and sand ) was placed in a mixer with half the water and mixed for 30 seconds . after standing for one minute the mixer was restarted and the cement component added over 30 seconds . the remainder of the water was then added and mixing continued for a further two minutes . the plasticizer polymer admixture ( if present ) was then added at a level of 0 . 12 % by weight , i . e . as 0 . 4 % w / w of 30 % w / w solution , of cement component and the whole mixed for a further one minute . the cementitious compositions prepared were tested for slump , plastic density , compressive strength and setting time according to british standard 1881 . the flow properties were tested by the method of din 1048 . twelve copolymers and terpolymers were prepared and tested as their sodium salts against a copolymer sodium salt disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 473 , 406 ( european patent specification 0097513 ) as standard . appropriate measurements were also made on the two base cementiferous compositions not containing an admixture . the twelve examples and standard copolymer had the compositions set out in table i . the sodium salts of the polymers were prepared at 30 % w / w solutions and 0 . 25 % w / w tributyl phosphate added as anti - foamer . these admixtures were tested at a level of 0 . 4 % w / w of cement using two cement bases indicated as base 1 and base 2 in table ii . this table records the properties of the cementiferous compositions prepared . it will be seen that the copolymers of the invention substantially improve the properties of the cement bases and are as effective as the known more expensive hydroxy ester containing polymers . table i__________________________________________________________________________ admixturecomponent ( mole %) a b c * e f g h j ** k ** l n p r__________________________________________________________________________acrylic acid 60 85 70 90 95 -- 85 56 46 56 65 56 63methyl methacrylate 40 15 -- 10 5 15 -- 22 8 22 20 22 24methacrylic acid -- -- -- -- -- 85 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ethyl acrylate -- -- -- -- -- -- 15 -- -- -- -- -- -- vinyl alcohol -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 22 46 -- -- -- -- vinyl acetate -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 22 15 -- -- allyl alcohol -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 22 -- styrene -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 13hydroxy propyl -- -- 30 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- methacrylateviscosity ( cps ) 15 . 0 8 . 0 5 . 5 9 . 7 8 . 0 18 . 0 8 . 5 7 . 7 11 . 2 13 . 5 8 . 6 10 . 3 nm__________________________________________________________________________ * standard copolymer ** these polymers were prepared by hydrolysis of acrylic acid / vinyl acetate / methyl methacrylate terpolymers . nm -- not measured table ii__________________________________________________________________________property setting time compressive flow time ( hrs ) return to strength ( n / mm . sup . 2 ) slump plastic before after 500 4000 50 mm slump 1 7 28admixture ( mm ) density tamping psi psi ( hrs ) day days days__________________________________________________________________________base 1 55 2390 20 sheared 4 . 3 5 . 8 -- 11 . 9 34 . 0 -- a 2410 36 64 7 . 0 8 . 7 3 . 75 9 . 4 33 . 0 -- b 2400 35 63 7 . 4 9 . 4 3 . 50 9 . 5 36 . 5 -- c * 2410 36 64 7 . 2 9 . 4 3 . 75 9 . 5 35 . 5 -- j 2405 32 62 6 . 7 8 . 5 1 . 40 11 . 5 36 . 0 -- k 2400 32 61 7 . 0 8 . 7 1 . 10 12 . 3 35 . 0 -- l 2400 34 63 7 . 7 9 . 0 3 . 60 11 . 0 36 . 0 -- base 2 50 2400 20 sheared -- -- -- 16 . 1 -- 47 . 0 c * 2410 36 62 -- -- -- 16 . 1 -- 48 . 0e 2420 32 61 -- -- -- 14 . 4 -- 46 . 8f 2420 33 60 -- -- -- 14 . 1 -- 45 . 6g 2415 35 61 -- -- -- 15 . 8 -- 47 . 5h 2405 29 58 -- -- -- 14 . 6 -- 47 . 5n 2400 37 64 -- -- -- 15 . 1 -- 49 . 5p 2410 30 56 -- -- -- 15 . 6 -- 47 . 0r 2400 31 58 -- -- -- 12 . 3 -- 42 . 5__________________________________________________________________________ dash indicates measurement was not taken . sheared indicates the cement did not flow properly so an accurate measurement could not be made . it will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiments of the invention described above , without departing from the scope of the invention , as defined in the appended claims , and it is intended therefore , that all matter contained in the foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not as limitative of the invention . | 2 |
embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail . the present inventors have succeeded in synthesizing novel compounds with low band gaps from thiophene monomers and diketopyrrolopyrrole monomers , which were reported to have high holemobilities and high absorbance values , and triphenylamine core structures with high hole conductivities , and in acquiring high photovoltaic efficiency of organic thin - film photovoltaic cells using the novel compounds . the present invention provides a triphenylamine derivative represented by formula ( i ): wherein the r 1 groups , whichmay be the same or different , each independently represent a straight or branched , saturated or unsaturated c 1 - c 20 alkyl group , and the armoieties , which may be the same or different , each independently represent a linking group selected from whereinthe r 2 groups , which may be the same or different , each independently represent a straight or branched , saturated or unsaturated c 1 - c 20 alkyl group . the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following examples . however , these examples are given to assist in a further understanding of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention . compounds ( 1 ), ( 3 ), ( 7 ), ( 8 ) and ( 12 ) shown in the reaction schemes were purchased from aldrich or lumtec . 2 - butyl - 1 - octanol ( formula 1 ) ( 6 . 4 ml , 28 . 6 mmol ), triphenylamine ( 15 . 0 g , 57 . 2 mmol ) and imidazole ( 3 . 89 g , 57 . 2 mmol ) were placed in dichloromethane ( 210 ml ) as a solvent in a 500 ml flask furnished with a magnetic stirring bar . the mixture was cooled to 0 ° c . after slow addition of iodine ( 14 . 52 g , 57 . 2 mmol ) and slow heating to room temperature , the resulting mixture was allowed to react about 2 hr . after completion of the reaction , asaturated aqueous solution of sodium sulfite was added until no precipitate was observed . the reaction mixture was extracted with water and chloroform . the chloroform layer was dried over magnesium sulfate and the solventswere removed using a rotary evaporator . the residue was purified by column chromatography ( eluent = hexane ) to afford 8 . 0 g ( yield = 95 %) of 5 -( iodomethyl ) undecane ( formula 2 ). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 , δ ppm ) 0 . 88 ( t , 6h ), 1 . 23 ( m , 17h ), 3 . 24 ( d , 2h ) t - amyl alcohol ( 250 ml ) was placed in a 500 ml flask equipped with a magnetic stirring bar and a condenser . after heating to 60 ° c ., sodium pieces were slowly added . the reaction was allowed to proceed at 120 ° c . for about 12 hr . thereafter , 2 - thiophenecarbonitrile ( formula 3 ) ( 10 . 0 ml , 107 . 4 mmol ) and di - n - butylsuccinate ( 12 . 6 ml , 53 . 69 mmol ) were slowly added . the mixture was allowed to react at 120 ° c . for about 12 hr . the reaction mixture was cooled , and acetic acid ( 11 . 2 ml , 195 . 7 mmol ) and methanol ( 7 . 7 ml , 134 . 2 mmol ) were added thereto . after reaction at room temperature for about 30 min , the reaction mixture was left to stand at room temperature for about 30 min to give a precipitate . the precipitate was filtered and dried under vacuum to afford 8 . 2 g ( yield = 51 %) of 6 - di ( thiophen - 2 - yl ) pyrrolo [ 3 , 4 - c ] pyrrole - 1 , 4 ( 2h , 5h )- dione ( formula 4 ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso , δ ppm ) 4 . 85 ( dd , 2h ), 5 . 51 ( d , 2h , aromatic proton ), 5 . 76 ( d , 2h , aromatic proton ), 8 . 79 ( s , 2h , — nh —) 6 - di ( thiophen - 2 - yl ) pyrrolo [ 3 , 4 - c ] pyrrole - 1 , 4 ( 2h , 5h )- dione ( formula 4 ) ( 0 . 59 g , 1 . 96 mmol ) prepared in synthesis example 2 and 5 -( iodomethyl ) undecane ( formula 2 ) ( 1 . 75 g , 5 . 89 mmol ) prepared in synthesis example 1 were placed in a 500 ml flask equipped with a magnetic stirring bar and a condenser . the mixture was dissolved in dimethylformamide ( 30 ml ) as a solvent . the reaction was allowed to proceed at 140 ° c . for about 12 hr . after completion of the reaction , the reaction solution was slowly cooled to room temperature to obtain a precipitate . the precipitate was collected by filtration to remove the solvent , followed by extraction with ether and water . purification by column chromatography ( eluent = chloroform / hexane ( 1 : 1 )) afforded 0 . 6 g ( yield = 45 %) of 2 , 5 - bis ( 2 - butyloctyl )- 3 , 6 - di ( thiophen - 2 - yl ) pyrrolo [ 3 , 4 - c ] pyrrole - 1 , 4 ( 2h , 5h )- dione ( formula 5 ). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 , δ ppm ) 0 . 84 ( t , 6h ), 1 . 24 ( m , 64h ), 1 . 90 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 02 ( d , 4h ), 7 . 26 ( dd , 2h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 62 ( d , 2h , aromatic proton ), 8 . 85 ( d , 2h , aromatic proton ) 2 , 5 - bis ( 2 - butyloctyl )- 3 , 6 - di ( thiophen - 2 - yl ) pyrrolo [ 3 , 4 - c ] pyrrole - 1 , 4 ( 2h , 5h )- dione ( formula 5 ) ( 1 . 17 g , 1 . 84 mmol ) was dissolved in chloroform ( 40 ml ) as a solventin a 100 ml flask furnished with a magnetic stirring bar . the solution was cooled to 0 ° c . thereafter , a solution of n - bromosuccinimide ( 0 . 34 g , 1 . 93 mmol ) in chloroform ( 20 ml ) as a solvent was slowly added dropwise to the flask through a dropping funnel . the reaction was allowed to proceed for about 2 hr . the reaction mixture was extracted with chloroform and water . the chloroform layer was collected and the solvent was removed using a rotary evaporator . the residue was purified by column chromatography ( eluent = dichloromethane / hexane ( 1 : 1 )) to afford 0 . 6 g ( yield = 45 %) of 3 -( 5 - bromothiophen - 2 - yl )- 2 , 5 - bis ( 2 - butyloctyl )- 6 -( thiophen - 2 - yl ) pyrrolo [ 3 , 4 - c ] pyrrole - 1 , 4 ( 2h , 5h )- dione ( formula 6 ). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 , δ ppm ) 0 . 84 ( t , 6h ), 1 . 24 ( m , 64h ), 1 . 90 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 02 ( d , 4h ), 7 . 22 ( d , 1h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 26 ( dd , 1h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 62 ( d , 1h , aromatic proton ), 8 . 59 ( d , 1h , aromatic proton ), 8 . 85 ( d , 1h , aromatic proton ) anhydrous toluene ( 20 ml ) as a solvent was placed in a 100 ml flask equipped with a magnetic stirring bar and a condenser , and then tris ( 4 - bromophenyl ) amine ( 1 . 0 g , 2 . 1 mmol ) ( formula 7 ), 4 , 4 , 5 , 5 - tetramethyl - 2 -( thiophen - 2 - yl )- 1 , 3 , 2 - dioxaborolane ( 1 . 7 g , 7 . 88 mmol ) ( formula 8 ), dipalladiumtris ( dibenzylacetone ) ( pd 2 ( dba ) 3 ) ( 0 . 1 g , 0 . 11 mmol ), tri - o - tolyl phosphate ( p ( o - tolyl ) 3 ) ( 0 . 2 g , 0 . 4 mmol ), potassium carbonate ( k 2 co 3 ) ( 1 . 1 g , 8 . 3 mmol ) and trioctylmethylammonium chloride ( aliquat 336 ) ( 1 drop ) were added thereto . after oxygen was removed from the flask by vacuum - nitrogen cycling , the mixture was stirred at reflux under a nitrogen atmosphere at 85 ° c . for 48 hr . the stirring was stopped , and the toluene layer was collected , filtered through a short column ( eluent = chloroform ), and dried . the residue was purified by column chromatography ( eluent = dichloromethane / hexane ( 1 : 1 )) to afford 0 . 88 g ( yield = 86 %) of tris ( 4 -( thiophen - 2 - yl ) phenyl ) amine ( formula 9 ). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 , δ ppm ) 7 . 07 ( dd , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 13 ( d , 6h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 24 ( m , 6h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 52 ( d , 6h , aromatic proton ) tris ( 4 -( thiophen - 2 - yl ) phenyl ) amine ( formula 9 ) ( 0 . 1 g , 0 . 203 mmol ) was placed in a 25 ml flask furnished with a magnetic stirring bar . flame drying was conducted to remove moisture from the flask , followed by vacuum - nitrogen cyclingto create a nitrogen atmosphere in the flask . anhydrous tetrahydrofuran ( the ) ( 5 ml ) as a solvent was added to the flask . the mixture was cooled to − 78 ° c ., and then n - butyllithium ( 0 . 05 g , 0 . 8 mmol ) and tetramethylethylenediamine ( 0 . 1 mg , 0 . 8 mmol ) were slowly added thereto . after slow heating to room temperature , the reaction was continued for 2 hr . the reaction mixture was cooled to − 78 ° c ., and then trimethyltin chloride ( snme 3 cl ) ( 0 . 2 g , 0 . 8 mmol ) was addedthereto . the temperature was allowed to rise to room temperature . the resulting mixture was allowed to reactfor 8 hr . the reaction mixture was extracted with water and ether . the ether layer was collected and the solventswere removed using a rotary evaporator . the residue was reprecipitated in chloroform and methanol , and dried in vacuo to afford 70 mg ( yield = 35 %) of tris ( 4 -( 5 - trimethylstannyl ) thiophen - 2 - yl ) phenyl ) amine ( formula 11 ). 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 , δ ppm ) 7 . 12 ( d , 6h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 15 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 34 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 52 ( d , 6h , aromatic proton ) 3 -( 5 - bromothiophen - 2 - yl )- 2 , 5 - bis ( 2 - ethylhexyl )- 6 -( thiophen - 2 - yl ) pyrrolo [ 3 , 4 - c ] pyrrole - 1 , 4 ( 2h , 5h )- dione ( formula 12 ) ( 1044 . 8 mg , 1 . 35 mmol ) and tris ( 4 -( 5 - trimethylstannyl ) thiophen - 2 - yl ) phenyl ) amine ( formula 11 ) ( 487 . 2 mg , 0 . 41 mmol ) were placed in a 25 ml flask furnished with a magnetic stirring bar , and then toluene ( 40 ml ) and dimethylformamide ( 10 ml ) as solvents were added thereto . oxygen was removed from the flask by degassing . bis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( ii ) dichloride ( pdcl 2 ( pph 3 ) 2 ) ( 15 . 1 mg 0 . 016 mmol ) as a catalyst was added , followed by heating to 80 ° c . the mixture was allowed to react for about 4 hr . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , reprecipitated in methanol ( 150 ml ), and filtered to obtain a dark brown solid . the solid was dissolved in chloroform and purified by column chromatography ( eluent = dichloromethane / hexane ( 2 : 1 )) to afford 650 mg ( yield = 77 %) tdpp ( eh ) ( formula ia ) as the final product in the form of a black powder . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 , δ ppm ) 0 . 88 ( m , 36h ), 1 . 25 ( m , 48h ), 4 . 04 ( d , 12h ), 7 . 18 ( d , 6h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 24 ( dd , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 27 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 31 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 33 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 55 ( d , 6h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 62 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 8 . 85 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 8 . 94 ( d , 3 , aromatic proton ) 3 -( 5 - bromothiophen - 2 - yl )- 2 , 5 - bis ( 2 - butyloctyl )- 6 -( thiophen - 2 - yl ) pyrrolo [ 3 , 4 - c ] pyrrole - 1 , 4 ( 2h , 5h )- dione ( formula 6 ) ( 288 . 0 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ) and tris ( 4 -( 5 - trimethylstannyl ) thiophen - 2 - yl ) phenyl ) amine ( formula 11 ) ( 119 . 5 mg , 0 . 12 mmol ) were placed in a 25 ml flask furnished with a magnetic stirring bar , and then toluene ( 8 ml ) and dimethylformamide ( 2 ml ) as solvents were added thereto . oxygen was removed from the flask by degassing . bis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( ii ) dichloride ( pdcl 2 ( pph 3 ) 2 ) ( 3 . 4 mg , 0 . 005 mmol ) as a catalyst was added , followed by heating to 80 ° c . the mixture was allowed to react for about 4 hr . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , reprecipitated in methanol ( 150 ml ), and filtered to obtain a dark brown solid . the solid was dissolved in chloroform and purified by column chromatography ( eluent = dichloromethane / hexane ( 2 : 1 )) to afford 201 mg ( yield = 68 %) of tdpp ( bo ) ( formula ib ) as the final product in the form of a black powder . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 , δ ppm ) 0 . 88 ( m , 36h ), 1 . 25 ( m , 90h ), 4 . 04 ( d , 12h ), 7 . 18 ( d , 6h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 24 ( dd , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 27 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 31 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 33 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 55 ( d , 6h , aromatic proton ), 7 . 62 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 8 . 85 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ), 8 . 94 ( d , 3h , aromatic proton ) each of the triphenylamine derivative tdpp ( eh ) ( formula ia ) prepared in synthesis example 7 and the triphenylamine derivative tdpp ( bo ) ( formula ib ) prepared in synthesis example 8 was used to fabricate a photovoltaic cell having astructure of ito / pedot : pss / triphenylamine derivative : pc 70 bm ( 1 : 3 . 5 )/ al in accordance with the following procedure . first , an ito substrate was sequentially washed with isopropyl alcohol for 10 min , acetone for 10 min and isopropyl alcohol for 10 min , and dried before use . a solution of pedot : pssin a ratio of 1 : 1 was diluted in methanol , spin coated at a rate of 4 , 000 rpm on the ito substrate , and dried at 110 ° c . for 10 min . the triphenylamine derivative and pc 70 bm were dissolved in a ratio of 1 : 3 . 5 in chloroform to prepare a solution having a concentration of 15 mg / ml . the solution was spin coated at a rate of 2 , 500 rpm on the substrate , and an aluminum electrode was deposited to a thickness of 100 nm thereon . fig1 and 2 are absorbance curves for solutions and films of tdpp ( eh ) ( formula ia ) prepared in synthesis example 7 and tdpp ( bo ) ( formula ib ) prepared in synthesis example 8 , respectively . the maximum absorbance values and optical band gaps of the solutions and the films were determined from the absorbance data , and the results are shown in table 1 . from these results , it can be seen that the triphenylamine derivatives having low band gaps are suitable for use in the fabrication of highefficiency organic photovoltaic cells . the characteristics of the photovoltaic cells were measured , and the results are shown in fig3 and 4 . main parameters indicating the performance of the photovoltaic cells for the curves of fig3 and 4 are described in table 2 . | 2 |
referring now more particularly to the drawings , and specifically to fig1 thereof , there is shown a conventional building construction including a wall 11 , being provided therein with a doorway 12 , including a door 13 in the doorway . the home exercise device is shown in position on the door 13 , and may include a pair of inverted , generally u - shaped mounting brackets or clips located in spaced relation and conformably engaged over the upper edge 16 of door 13 . outstanding from one end of each clip 15 is an extension or flange 17 . the clips 15 may be substantially identical , and may be fabricated of sheet metal , or other suitable material , the flanges 17 outstanding generally horizontally from the door 13 in the use condition . each flange is provided along its outer edge with one or more apertures 18 , being shown in the illustrated embodiment as a row of three apertures 18 , see fig1 . a pulley 20 is associated with each clip 15 , including a hanger or strap 21 , and a suspension member or s - shaped hook 22 suspending the respective pulley from the adjacent flange 17 . that is , each s - shaped hook 22 may have one end engaged through one hole 18 of one flange 17 , depending therefrom with its lower end engaged through mounting part or strap 21 of the adjacent pulley . trained over each pulley 20 is a flexible , elongate tension member , rope or cord 25 . one end region of cord 25 may be doubled back to form a loop , as at 26 , the doubled portion secured together by any means , such as a clinching member or collar 27 . each loop 26 may be provided with an annular end member or ring 28 extending through the respective loop ; and , each collar , cinch or clamp 27 may further embrace an additional hook 29 , which faces downwardly in the operative condition of fig1 for a purpose appearing presently . on the other end of each rope or cord 25 , there may similarly be formed a loop 31 , defined by a clamping collar 32 . a handgrip , ring or loop 33 may extend through each cord loop 31 , say of triangular formation as illustrated , or other suitable configuration , and may be provided on one side with a tubular handgrip 34 . in addition , each cord 25 , adjacent to its hand loop 33 , may be provided with a retainer 35 . the retainers 35 may each be defined by a plate , as best seen in fig3 having a pair of through openings 36 , through which is threaded the cord 25 . further , each retaining member or plate 35 includes an additional through aperture or hole 37 , which releasably receives the adjacent hook 29 , for a purpose appearing presently . removably carried by each ring or eye 28 , may be an additional s - shaped hook or suspension member , from which depends a weighted container or bag 41 . specifically , the bag 41 may each be fabricated of any suitable flexible sheet material , and provided at its upper end with a closure flap 42 removably secured in closed relation by any suitable fastener means 43 , such as snap fastener means . the closure flap 42 is provided with grommets or eyelets 44 which receive the lower end of hook 40 to suspend the bag 41 from the cord 25 . the bag may be filled with any suitable means , such as sand , shot or other , to acquire the desired weight , and suitable indicia or markings may be provided on the bags , as at 45 to indicate the level of contents corresponding to a desired weight . in operation , it will be apparent that a user may grasp the handholds 34 in respective hands and perform various manipulations to achieve the desired results while working against the weights of bags 41 . for a convenient nonuse condition , without removal of the exercise device from the door 13 , the hooks 29 may be engaged through respective retainer openings 37 to minimize free swinging of the handloops 34 upon door movement . of course , it is quite simple to remove and replace the entire exercise device , merely requiring upward movement of the clips 15 from the upper door edge 16 , and replacement , as desired . in accordance with the teachings of the present invention , there is provided a flexible support member or strap 50 removably extendable between the pair of handholds 34 , see fig4 . the support or strap 50 may include opposite end portions 51 extending through respective handholds 34 and detachably secured in interlooped relation with respective handholds , as by releasable fastener means 52 . by this means , the strap 50 may be employed to support one &# 39 ; s head , neck , torso , or the like during the performance of various exercises to utilize the weight of bags 41 in elevating body parts . for example , a user laying back downwardly upon the floor may support the head or neck in the strap 50 , whereby the weights 41 may serve to raise the torso during sit - ups . in this manner , persons wishing to take advantage of the slimming effects of sit - ups may perform relatively great numbers of sit - ups , which would otherwise require great strength and endurance . similarly , the body supporting member or strap 50 may be employed to aid in push - ups , or other desired exercises . while it is appreciated that the weights of bags 41 may be varied , as desired , by varying the contents thereof , it is also possible to suspend both pulleys 20 from a single clip 15 , and grasp both handholds 34 with a single hand , as for rebuilding a single arm , or two units may be employed in association with each clip 15 , if desired . also , rather than a pair of clips 15 , there may be substituted a single longer clip , if desired . from the foregoing , it is seen that the present invention provides a home exercise device which is extremely simple in construction , uniquely enabling advantageous operation and results , capable of quick and easy setup and knockdown for convenient storage , and otherwise fully accomplishes its intended objects . although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding , it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention . | 0 |
referring now to fig1 the positioning device 10 is illustrated as being fastened by means of a bolted clamp 12 to a steering column 14 which is universally mounted as schematically illustrated at 16 to the steering gear ( not shown ) of a vehicle . the positioning device 10 includes a support member 18 fixedly secured to the vehicle body , a slider member 20 received in the support member and fixedly secured to the clamp 12 by fasteners 13 , and a control lever assembly 22 operative to permit selective translational and pivotal movement of the slider member 20 in a manner to be described in detail below . referring now to fig2 , and 4 , the support member 18 is illustrated as comprising a pair of side plates 24 and 26 preferably formed as sheet metal stampings and arranged in a spaced parallel relationship by their attachment to a pair of spacer bars 28 . so positioned the slide plates 24 and 26 define a space 30 for receiving the slider member 20 . two pairs of antifriction pads 32 and 34 formed from a suitable antifriction material such as that manufactured and sold under the name of super dylan by the dylan corporation are bonded to the inner surfaces 36 and 38 of side plates 24 and 26 , respectively , proximate the free ends of the said plates as may best be seen in fig2 and 3 . also disposed between inner surfaces 36 and 38 and the slider member 20 are pairs of locking projections 40 and 42 whose use will be hereinafter described . these may be formed as metallic washers or the like and welded to the side plates or may be carried loosely by the control assembly 22 or they may be integrally formed with the side plates themselves as by stamping . they are positioned proximate the center of the control assembly 22 as may best be seen in fig2 . the slider member 20 , as shown in fig3 is illustrated as comprising an elongated bar having transversely formed therethrough upper and lower elongated slots 44 and 46 , respectively , extending parallel to its axis of the elongation . a central aperture 48 is formed through the slider member 20 and a plurality of axially spaced , arcuately shaped notches are formed on the upper edge of the slider member 20 as illustrated in fig1 - 3 . also included with the slider member 20 are a pair of antifriction pads 52 formed of the material of pads 32 and 34 and bonded proximate the inboard end of the slider member 20 as may be seen in fig3 . the control lever assembly 22 is illustrated in fig2 - 4 as comprising an actuating control handle 54 , which is fixedly secured to a locking cam member 56 , which is in turn fixedly mounted by means of pin connection 58 to a shaft 60 extending transversely through the side plates 24 and 26 , respectively , and passing through the aperture 48 formed in slider member 20 . axial retention of the shaft 60 is provided by an enlarged head portion 66 . fixedly secured to the shaft 60 for rotation therewith and interposed between the locking cam 56 and the side plate 26 is a release cam 68 shown in its inactive position in fig2 . the release cam 68 is configured to operatively engage a pivot control lever 70 and a translation control lever 72 . the pivotal control lever 70 includes a pair of arms 74a and 74b ( as shown in fig2 and 3 ) which are operatively connected to each other and pivotally mounted on the support member 18 by means of a pin 76 extending transversely to the side plates 24 and 26 . each arm 74a and 74b includes an elongated slot 78a and 78b formed proximate the free end thereof which slidingly receives and axially retains a floating guide pin 80 , which also is slidingly engaged in the lower slot 46 of slider member 20 . arms 74a and 74b may , of course , be formed together . the guide pin 80 is sized for engagement with any of a plurality of notches 82 formed on one edge of aligned apertures , 84a and 84b proximate the free end of the assembly . it will be clear to those skilled in the art that design modifications could be made which would reposition the notches 82 in other locations without affecting their function to be hereinafter described . it will likewise be clear that the generally sinusoidal shape of the notches 82 may be changed to a configuration presenting sides parallel to the slot 46 for retaining the pin 80 if forces on the pin 80 tend to drive it out of the notch 82 . translation control lever 72 likewise includes a pair of arms 86a and 86b which may be formed as a single u - shaped arm . the arms are operatively connected to each other and pivotally mounted to a second guide pin 88 which is secured to the side plates and extends traversely thereto slidingly engaging the upper slot 44 of slide member 20 . a locking pin 90 is carried at the free end of the arms and fixedly connected to them . it extends through an aperture 92 formed in the side plates 24 and 26 and is configured to engage any of the plurality of arcuately shaped notches 50 formed on the upper edge of the slider member 20 as may best be seen in fig3 . an extension spring 94 is secured to the arms 74b and 86b and applies a biasing load to urge the pins 80 and 90 into latching engagement with their respective notches . it will be appreciated that individual biasing springs may alternatively be used to load the arms 74b and 86b in other arrangements of the control levers . translational movement of the steering column 14 is effected by extending slider member 20 . this is accomplished by rotating the handle 54 counterclockwise as shown in fig2 to place a surface 85 of the release cam 68 in abutment with the lower edge 87 of the arm 86a . this movement overcomes the biasing force of the spring 94 to pivot the arms 86a and 86b , disengaging the pin 90 from one of the arcuately shaped notches 50 of slider member 20 . when in this position , the slider member 20 may be moved parallel to its longitudinal axis as guided by the sliding engagement of the fixed guide pin 88 in upper slot 44 and of floating guide pin 80 in the lower slot 46 , the pin 80 , of course , being biased into engagement with a notch 82 by action of the extension spring 94 . when the slider member 20 is moved to a new position wherein the pivotal path of the pin 90 again registers with a notch 50 , the handle 54 may be rotated to its original position , thereby allowing the biasing force of the spring 94 to urge the pin 90 into engagement in the new position . pivotal movement of the steering column 14 is accomplished by pivoting the slider member 20 about the fixed guide pin 88 . to allow this motion , the handle 54 is rotated clockwise from the position shown in fig2 until the surface 73 of release cam member 68 is in abutting engagement with the forward edge 75 of the arm 74a . this movement pivots the arms 74a and 74b about the pin 76 , moving the pin 80 slidingly along the lower slot 46 of the slider member 20 and along the longitudinal slot 78 in the arms 74a and 74b . in this movement the biasing force of the extension spring 94 is overcome and the floating pin 80 is disengaged from the notch 82 . when the pin 80 is free , the slider member 20 may be pivoted about the fixed guide pin 88 until the pin 80 again registers with a notch 82 at a point the handle 54 may be turned to its original position and the biasing force of the spring 94 returns the floating pin 80 into engagement . as the operation has been described translational and pivotal movement of the steering column are effected independently and by separate adjustment features . the independence of the two modes of positioning movement is related , however , to the configuration of the aperture 58 formed through the slider member 20 . the internal configuration of the driver &# 39 ; s compartment of the vehicle may prevent complete independence of motion . for example , the position of the vehicle &# 39 ; s dashboard may prevent the full leftward positioning of the steering column 14 when the column is moved to the pivotal position fully counterclockwise as shown in fig1 . to prevent adjustment to this position the inner surfaces 49 of the aperture 48 may be configured so that the position of the shaft 60 will prevent movement of the aperture 48 and hence the slider 20 into the undesired position . when the steering column 14 is in a selected position , such as is shown in the drawings , its translational and pivotal movement is prevented by the engagement of the pins 80 and 90 and their respective notches . the necessary manufacturing tolerances in the components of the positioning device 10 , however , yield a slight but possibly undesirable looseness in the assembly of the positioning device 10 . in the preferred embodiment , this looseness is eliminated by the operation of the locking cam 56 as may best be seen in fig4 . downward movement of the handle 54 from the position shown in fig4 causes the locking cam 56 to exert an axial force transverse to the side plates 24 and 26 , which are formed of a material having a thickness as to provide flexibility , by drawing the enlarged head 66 of the shaft 60 against the outer side 25 of plate 24 . this draws the plates 24 and 26 toward one another and brings the pairs of locking members 40 and 42 into contact with the slider member 20 , thereby providing firm transverse contact and eliminating the looseness in the assembly . reversal of the motion of the handle 54 is , of course , required before readjustment of the position of the column 14 can be made . fig5 illustrates an alternate means for applying the transverse locking force described above . in this embodiment the side plates 24a and 26a may be , but are not necessarily , formed of flexible material as in the preferred embodiment . the locking members 40 and 42 of the preferred embodiment are eliminated and and enlarged aperture 96 is formed about the axis of the shaft 60 and a thrust transferring element , such as a washer 98 , is carried under the head 66 of the shaft 60 . moving the handle 54 clockwise as previously described draws the enlarged head portion 66 against the washer 98 to urge the slider member 20 against the inside surface 38a of the side plate 26a . this effects a reduction in looseness in the assembly similar to that effected in the preferred embodiment described above . fig6 and 7 illustrate another alternative embodiment , including a means for controlling the transverse locking , whereby rotation of the handle 54 to create the transverse locking force is prevented unless the pin 80 is engaged in a notch 82 and the pin 90 is engaged in a notch 50 . in this embodiment the pivot control lever 70 and the translation control lever 72 are modified to include lock control arms 70a and 72a . each of these arms extends to pass between the locking cam 56a and the control cam 68 . this interposition is accomplished by providing a notch 100 on the under surface of one tine 102 of the bifurcated locking cam member 56a as may best be seen in fig7 . the arm 70a includes a slot 104 positioned to be aligned with the tine 102 only when the pin 80 is engaged in one of the slots 82 and the arm 72a includes a plurality of slots which are positioned for alignment with the tine 102 only when the pin 90 is engaged . when so aligned clockwise rotation of the handle 54 is possible , thereby creating the transverse locking force . when not aligned rotation will be prevented . although described here in only three embodiments , it will be clear that others are possible . for example , a device that affords only translational or pivotal movement can be constructed according to the teachings of the present invention . | 1 |
fig1 shows the basic components of one embodiment of gemstone holding apparatus of the invention . it will be noted from the ensuing description of fig2 to 5 that not all of these components are used at all times during the polishing of a gemstone . in fig1 a stone pot , in which the gemstone is actually held , is designated with the reference numeral 10 . the pot 10 is fastened to the remainder of the dop apparatus ( not illustrated ) by means of a pot fixing screw 12 . located alongside the pot 10 is a cooling jacket 14 which has a coolant inlet 16 and a coolant outlet 18 . the lower part of the jacket 14 is externally threaded at 20 . an internally threaded claw mounting ring 22 can be screwed onto the threads 20 . other components seen in fig1 are an optional jacket fixing nut 24 for fastening the holding apparatus to the dop apparatus and an optional table support 26 . referring now to fig2 to 4 , a gemstone which is to be held by the apparatus during polishing is indicated with the numeral 30 . in fig2 the gemstone 30 is still in a substantially uncut state . a thermally conductive putty 32 completely fills any voids between the gemstone and the stone pot 10 . it will be noted in fig2 that the stone pot 10 has a shape specifically designed to accommodate the irregular exterior of the gemstone 30 . it will also be seen in fig2 that the claw mounting ring , the jacket fixing nut and the table support are omitted , and that the cooling jacket 14 defines an annular coolant chamber 34 . polishing of the gemstone 30 is achieved by moving the holding apparatus to a position in which the gemstone 30 is held against the surface 36 of a rotating scaife , which polishes a facet 38 into the gemstone . as indicated previously , excessive heat generated by the abrasive action of the scaife on the gemstone can lead to temperature degradation of the gemstone . excessively high temperatures are avoided by making the stone pot 10 , retaining putty 32 and cooling jacket 14 of thermally conductive material , and by the fact that a coolant , typically water , is passed through the chamber 34 from the inlet 16 to the outlet 18 during polishing . thus heat generated by the polishing action is conducted to the coolant which removes it . the putty 32 not only acts as a heat sink to conduct heat away from the gemstone 30 , but it also cushions the gemstone to some extent relative to the pot 10 . a preferred putty 32 consists of a highly thermally conductive powder in admixture with a heat conductive silicone grease . typically , the powder which is used would be copper , aluminium , silver , graphite or diamond powder . in the case of a diamond powder , the particle size would typically be in the range 0 . 1 to 0 . 5 micron . larger particles are generally to be avoided because of their potential to scratch the gemstone 30 . the exact proportions of conductive powder and silicone grease will depend on the circumstances of each case , and will be chosen to balance the workability or malleability of the putty against the desired thermal conduction properties . suitable silicone grease may be that marketed under the names electrolube htc 010 or unick uh102 , which provide a re - usable and easily workable base for the putty 32 . in situations where a greater degree of workability is required , a suitable plasticiser can be added to the putty . fig3 shows a slightly different arrangement in which a table support 26 is mated with the pot 10 to provide an appropriately shaped surface for the gemstone 30 , which has already undergone substantial polishing . if necessary , a putty similar to the putty 32 can also be interposed between the gemstone and relevant surfaces of the table support to fill any voids and ensure adequate conduction of heat . it will be noted that the apparatuses seen in fig1 and 2 include thermal sensors 42 attached to the gemstone 30 at suitable positions for the purposes of monitoring the temperature of the gemstone . in fig4 the inner surface of the pot 10 has a lining of heat conductive solder or resin 42 which has a depression 44 precisely matched to the shape of the relevant part of the gemstone 30 , in this case the culet thereof . since it is critical that the gemstone 30 is properly immobilised during cutting , it is additionally clamped by means of a clamping arrangement as seen in fig5 which shows the claw mounting ring 22 in position on the cooling jacket 14 . the claw mounting ring is formed with a circumferential groove 50 in which projections 52 can be located . the projections 52 are pivoted to links 54 which carry claws 56 at their lower free ends and clamp screws 58 at their upper free ends . the claws have threaded shanks 60 which engage with locking nuts 61 engaged with the links 54 , so that the claws can be adjusted , in their longitudinal directions , according to the specific requirements of the gemstone . similarly , the clamp screws 58 are threaded through pivoting blocks 62 on the links 54 , so that they are also longitudinally adjustable . the clamp screws 58 carry pivoting formations 64 at their inner ends that bear against the periphery of the cooling jacket 14 . it will be appreciated that the combination of claws and clamp screws , properly tightened , will substantially immobilise the gemstone 30 during polishing , at any chosen one of a great variety of different diamond positions and orientations . fig6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of the invention holding a gemstone 100 , in this case a diamond , at an advanced stage of polishing . the holding apparatus in this case has a stone pot 102 in which the culet of the diamond is received . the crown of the diamond is gripped by a pair of claws 108 which are pivotally suspended on a body 110 . pivotal movement of the claws , in the manner indicated by the arrows 111 , is achieved by a control linkage , partially seen at 112 and controlled by a thumbscrew 114 . the claws have inclined surfaces 115 which bear against the crown of the diamond 100 and urge it upwards into firm engagement with the stone pot 102 . the stone pot 102 and the element 122 are omitted from fig7 . the stone pot 102 has a projecting tail portion 118 that is fixed , by means of a grub screw , inside a passage 120 in a hollow element 122 . the hollow element 122 has an internal coolant chamber 124 through which a suitable coolant is circulated via nipples 126 , only one of which is visible . the upper part of the element 122 is located in a bore 128 defined by a sleeve 130 and is locked in positon by a grub screw . a screw 132 passes through a threaded aperture in a cap 134 at the upper end of the sleeve and bears upon the upper part of the element 122 . the screw 132 is used to adjust the vertical position of the element 122 and hence of the stone pot 102 and diamond to position the diamond at a suitable height to be engaged firmly by the claws 108 which are , as stated above , moved by appropriate rotation of the thumbscrew 114 . the space between the surfaces of the stone pot 102 and the diamond is filled with a thermally conductive medium 136 , such as a putty , solder or resin . at least the element 122 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity , such a copper . the pot 102 is typically made of steel . the orientation of the diamond in fig6 is suitable for polishing the crown and table of the diamond , but a similar arrangement , with a suitable design of stone pot 102 and claws 108 , can be used for polishing of the bottom of the diamond . during polishing , the heat generated in the diamond by the scaife is conducted to the coolant flowing through the chamber 124 by the medium 136 , the stone pot 102 and the element 122 . the coolant removes a substantial mount of the heat , thereby preventing overheating and resultant temperature degradation of the diamond . a further advantage is that the apparatus is cooled down for ease of handling . in fig8 the culet of a diamond 200 is received within a stone pot 202 . the stone pot has a projecting tail portion 204 fixed in a passage in a body 206 . a fiat surface of an element 208 , similar to the element 122 of fig6 bears upon the table of the diamond . the element 208 has a portion 210 fixed into a passage in a body 212 . the bodies 206 and 212 are arranged so that the diamond 200 is clamped firmly in position for polishing of the appropriate girdle facets . the element 208 defines a coolant chamber 214 through which coolant is circulated via nipples 216 ( only one visible ). as in the previous embodiments , any space between the diamond and the stone pot can be filled with a thermally conductive medium 218 , and at least the element 208 is made of thermally conductive material . as before the presence of the coolant removes heat from the diamond during polishing and reduces the chances of excessive temperatures and thermal degradation of the diamond . initial testwork indicates that an apparatus of the kind described above is suitable for use in polishing diamonds of greater than one carat . | 1 |
the paper printability tester of the present invention is constructed on a base plate 10 having three upstanding , parallel rib plates 11 , 12 and 13 secured thereto . the front rib plate 11 cooperates with the center rib plate 12 to support bearings for the sample roll sector 20 and applicator roll swing arms 50 and 51 . sample roll drive shaft 21 , supported by bearings 22 and 23 , has a chordal sector of a roll 24 rigidly secured thereto for conveniently mounting specimen strips of paper 25 to be tested . electrically operated single revolution clutch 26 mounted on the back end of shaft 21 has an input belt sheave 27 for receipt of drive belt 28 . power for the roll sector 20 is derived from electric motor 40 which directly drives a stepped - gang sheave 41 . by connective v - belt , the gang sheave 41 drives a corresponding gang sheave 42 keyed to a jackshaft 43 . jackshaft 43 is bearing mounted to center rib plate 12 and back rib plate 13 with the gang sheave 42 keyed to the cantilevered end of the jackshaft projecting behind the back rib plate 13 in drive alignment with the motor gang sheave 41 . between the back and center rib plates 13 and 12 , output drive sheave 44 is keyed to jackshaft 43 in drive alignment with the drive belt 28 . to secure adequate belt tension in the drive belt connecting gang sheaves 41 and 42 , an idler roll 45 pivots about a pedestal 46 supported journal pin 47 into rolling engagement with the back side of the drive belt between sheaves 41 and 42 . a tension spring 48 loads the engagement . the applicator roll assembly comprises two , parallel bell cranks 50 and 51 pivoted about journal pin 52 that is mounted through front and center rib plates 11 and 12 . applicator roll 53 is positioned between the upper distal ends of bell cranks 50 and 51 pivoted about journal pin 52 that is mounted through front and center rib plates 11 and 12 . applicator roll 53 is positioned between the upper distal ends of bell cranks 50 and 51 for free rotation about an axle pin 54 . about the central periphery of applicator roll 53 is bonded a resilient cover 55 of approximately 30 durometer hardness . approximately midway along the bell crank legs , a strut pin 57 is provided to pivotally receive the eye of motor strut 58 . the cylinder eye 59 of linear motor 60 is journal pinned to frame bracket 61 . adjustable limit stops 62 and 63 secured to front and center rib plates provide a structural limit surface for the bell cranks 50 and 51 to engage under draw - stroke load from the motor 60 . an integral inking roll assembly comprises a drive roll 70 , reversing roll 71 and a transfer roll 72 . all three rolls are cantilever mounted from the center rib plate 12 to facilitate cleaning and removal . drive roll 70 and reversing roll 71 are normally of hard surface metallic materials such as steel or aluminum . transfer roll 72 is provided with a resilient cover of approximately 30 durometer hardness . electric motor 80 rotates the drive roll 70 by means of belt 82 connected between sheaves 81 and 83 . the axle of rotation 84 for transfer roll 72 is cantilever mounted to the distal end of crank arm 85 . manual crank lever 86 is attached to the journal base of crank arm 85 to facilitate removal of the transfer roll 72 from its axle 84 for cleaning and replacement . in addition to rotation about its axis , reversing roll 71 also axially reciprocates by means of a cylindrical cam mechanism 87 . such compound rotating - reciprocation facilitates rapid and uniform distribution of an ink film over the three roll surfaces of the distribution assembly . the ink source is usually from a syringe or other measured dispenser for manually depositing a precise quantity onto the surface of transfer roll 72 while engaged with the drive roll 70 . controls for the aforedescribed mechanisms are housed within panel 100 which includes a primary on / off electrical power switch 90 and utility air inlet 91 . for versatility , the system is provided with a circuit selector switch 92 for operator choice between a fully automatic mode of operation and a mode that permits manual timing respective to the applicator roll 53 inking cycle and the printing cycle . in the manual mode , each of these cycles is started independently by start switches 93 and 94 , respectively . when started by switch 93 , a solenoid valve opens air service to a pressure regulator 95 which admits air at the pressure indicated by gauge 97 to the piston end of motor 60 via flexible conduit 64 . this action extends the motor rod 58 to push the applicator roll 53 into engagement with the previously coated ink transfer roll 72 at a constant nip load that is proportional to the gauge 97 indicated pressure . engagement time of the applicator roll with the transfer roll is dependent on a time delay relay not shown . since the ink distribution system rotates at constant speed under the power of motor 80 , the exact number of rotations that the applicator roll 53 is engaged with the transfer roll 72 is regulated by the adjustable time delay relay . upon completion of the prescribed time delay , the first solenoid valve is closed and a second solenoid valve opened to admit service air to the regulator 96 by which air pressure to the rod end of motor 60 is admitted via flexible conduit 65 . gauge 98 informs the operator of the applied pressure . pressure to the rod end of motor 60 draws the rod 58 to swing bell crank arms 50 and 51 into engagement with the limit stops 62 and 63 . as bell crank arms 50 and 51 approach engagement with the limit stops 62 and 63 , a momentary contact limit switch closes an electrical arming circuit for the counter relay 99 which controls power to the single revolution clutch 26 . sample roll sector drive motor 40 is energized continuously through the primary switch 90 but the drive train is normally interrupted at the single revolution clutch 26 . upon signal command from the counter relay 99 , clutch 26 will connect the jack shaft 43 with the sample roll sector drive shaft 21 for one revolution of the drive shaft . depending on the count setting of counter relay 99 , the cycle will automatically repeat until the predetermined revolution count is obtained . upon completion of the predetermined sample roll revolutions , the arming circuit for relay 99 is opened . the counter relay and clutch 26 cannot be operated again until the bell crank arm limit switch is again momentarily closed to actuate the arming circuit . this would not normally occur until the bell crank arms are again rotated to engage the applicator roll with the transfer roll for another inking cycle . in the automatic operating mode , approach of the bell crank arms to the limit stops initiates the limit switch signal directly to the arming relay to start the print cycle automatically and without interruption . in the manual operating mode , however , the bell crank limit switch signal to the arming relay is interrupted . consequently , the bell crank arms come to rest against the limit stops without further action by the sample roll sector . initiation of such further action is controlled by the print cycle start switch 94 which provides the arming relay with the signal charge necessary to close the counting relay power circuit . it has been noted that sample roll 24 is only a sector of a full cylinder . consequently , limit stops 62 and 63 are set to position the periphery of applicator roll 53 for engagement with the specimen only upon rotation of the roll 24 . during such rotational engagement , the nip load between the applicator roll 53 and the specimen 25 is dictated by the controlled pressure of regulator 96 as is reported by gauge 98 . the time interval required for swinging the bell crank arms 50 and 51 from one operative position to the other is determined by the volumetric size of linear motor 60 and the air flow rate through the respective supply conduits . control may be asserted over these time intervals by the use of orifices or flow control valves in the conduits 64 and 65 . as the primary function of the present invention is to test paper for surface smoothness and ink absorbency , the test specimen should be of sufficient size for repetitive conclusions from what is an essentially subjective evaluation . we have found specimen dimensions of 2 . 25 inches wide and 14 inches long to satisfy this criteria . other specific operating conditions may include a motor 60 air pressure on the piston side of approximately 10 psi for transfer of ink film on the transfer roll 72 to the applicator roll 53 . approximately 20 psi has been used on the motor rod side to load the applicator roll against the specimen 25 . the number of sample roll test revolutions is variable depending on the number of print stations in the press on which the paper is to be used . due to characteristics of ink solvent volatility or rheology , printing difficulties with a particular paper may not become apparent until the web approaches the final print station . having fully described our invention , those of ordinary skill in the art will find adequate opportunity for construction and operating improvements . | 1 |
the following designations of items in the drawings are employed in the following detailed description : fig1 is a simplified schematic representation of a prior art motorized drum that utilizes an inner turning rotor motor 1010 , a helical gear reducer 1020 and a first partial shaft 1030 connected to the helical gear reducer housing 1020 , which is connected to the motor housing 1040 . motor housing 1040 is connected to a motor housing flange 1050 , which is connected to a second partial shaft 1060 . this motorized drum is a closed , oil - filled , thermal system utilizing the oil ( not shown ) to transfer motor heat ( not shown ) to drum shell 1070 . fig2 is a simplified schematic representation of a prior art motorized drum that utilizes an inner turning rotor motor 2010 , a cycloidal reducer 2020 and a first partial shaft 2030 that is connected to the housing ( not specifically designated ) of cycloidal reducer 2020 . the housing of cycloidal reducer 2020 is connected to a motor stator housing ( not specifically designated ) and a support flange 2050 that encompasses the motor . support flange 2050 is further connected to a second partial shaft 2060 . this motorized drum is an open thermal system , utilizing external air ( shown by curved arrows ), which is urged into the motorized drum and flows across the motor and reducer and exits the opposite end of the motorized drum , to transfer the motor heat into the ambient environment . fig3 ( b ) is a side plan axial cross - sectional representation of a motorized drum 03000 constructed as a specific illustrative embodiment of the invention of the present invention . in this embodiment , the radially interior periphery of external rotor 03230 rotates about the radially exterior stator 03220 and is connected to a cycloidal reducer 03100 utilizing a hollow bore input shaft 03110 within a drum shell 03700 , and wherein an extension shell attachment 03560 is attached to the mounting face 03512 of base unit 03010 . the motorized drum 03000 of the present invention comprises a drum shell 03700 and the motor 03200 and cycloidal reducer 03100 are housed inside of drum shell 03700 . bearings 03710 , 03711 are disposed at both end sections of the drum shell on the central shaft 03210 thereby constituting the base unit 03010 . in this embodiment , an extension shell attachment 03560 is mounted to the mounting face 03512 on the right side of the base unit 03010 . the base unit 03010 plus the mounted extension shell attachment 03560 are sealed forming a closed thermal system . the motor output , which is a pair of tabs 03247 on the rotor 03230 , is coupled to the cycloidal reducer input 03110 , by means of a high speed coupler 03310 thus reducing the speed and increasing the torque . the cycloidal housing , which is an internal toothed ring gear 03160 , is directly connected to drum shell 03700 so that the drum shell rotates about fixed central shaft 03210 . stator 03220 of motor 03200 is affixed to central shaft 03210 . the central shaft and stator winding leads 03223 pass through the center of the hollow bore eccentric input 03110 of the cycloidal reducer 03100 with sufficient clearance to accommodate the deflection that central shaft 03210 will experience in operation . outer turning rotor 03230 is mounted to central shaft 03210 by means of rotor bearings 03231 and 03232 . the fixed reference point of the cycloidal reducer 03100 is affixed to central shaft 03210 by a high torque coupler 03350 and high torque central shaft key 03351 ( fig3 a ). a primary end lid 03410 is attached to the base unit 03010 by means of an embossed spring band 03420 and an end lid mounting face 03430 . fig4 through 12 relate to an embodiment of the present invention , wherein the outer turning rotor is of an induction motor . fig4 is a simplified axial cross - section through a motorized drum 04000 wherein a motor 04200 has an external rotor 04230 constructed in accordance with the principles of one embodiment of the invention . outer turning rotor 04230 improves the torque density of the motor , whereby the same torque that is achievable in an inner turning rotor can be achieved in an outer turning rotor in either a smaller diameter or a shorter axial length . in fig4 , outer turning rotor 04230 is , as stated , of an induction motor . a stator 04220 is affixed to the stator shaft 04210 and external rotor 04230 is arranged to rotate about stator 04220 and stator shaft 04210 , which are fixed . fig5 is an enlargement of the portion b - b of the electric motor of fig4 . here it is seen that the external rotor 04230 is rotatably supported on stator shaft 04210 by bearings 04231 and 04232 ( only partially shown in fig5 ), which in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention are conventional ball bearings . fig6 is a simplified schematic transaxial cross - sectional representation of a portion of stator 04220 of outer rotor induction motor 04200 ( not shown in this figure ). the represented portion of stator 04220 , in some embodiments of the invention , corresponds to a ferromagnetic lamination element 04221 of stator 04220 ( designated generally in this figure ). in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , stator 04220 is configured to have twenty - four slots ( each of which is individually numbered in the figure ). fig7 is an enlargement of a fragmented portion of stator 04220 of fig6 . this figure shows two of the twenty - four slots in greater detail . as shown in this figure , representative slots 07224 and 07225 each extend substantially radially through stator 04220 , and have a substantially v - shaped configuration . each such slot has , in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , substantially inward portions 07226 that reduce the circumferential dimension of the slot opening and thereby enhance the security with which the stator windings ( not shown ) are retained within the slots . fig8 is a simplified schematic cross - sectional representation of rotor 04230 of the outer rotor induction motor embodiment of the present invention having thirty - two substantially round - shaped slots 08235 . fig9 is an enlargement of a portion of the rotor embodiment of fig8 showing one of the thirty - two substantially round - shaped slots in greater detail . the rotor comprises 32 round shaped slots , as shown in fig8 and 9 . the use of 32 bars ensures that there are no dangerous parasitic synchronous locking torques . the lowest common harmonic orders of the magneto - motive force between the stator with 24 magnetic teeth , as described above , and the rotor with 32 magnetic teeth , when there are two magnetic poles , is 95 and 97 . this will create a minor torque dip at zero rotational speed . hence , the outer rotor of the present application does not need to be skewed to eliminate the parasitic synchronous torques . simple cross - sectional shapes , such as circular or square , for the bars will be adequate . fig1 shows conductive rotor bars 10236 , which in some embodiments of the invention are made of aluminum , and are , in this embodiment , inserted directly in the rotor slots 08235 , as herein illustrated . short - circuit elements short circuit respective ends of the rotor conductors . fig1 is a simplified schematic representation of a winding distribution useful in the practice of the present invention . the 2 - pole winding can be inserted automatically in a one layer distribution as shown in this figure . by way of example , in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention winding a wire portion 11224 loops between slots numbered 1 and 14 . similarly , wire portion 11225 loops between slots numbered 23 and 12 , wire portion 11226 loops between slots numbered 13 and 2 , and wire portion 11227 loops between slots numbered 11 and 24 . fig1 is a simplified flux diagram that illustrates the tight linkage between the stator and rotor under load conditions that is achieved by a specific illustrative embodiment of the invention . this figure illustrates the tight linkage between the stator and rotor under load conditions . it is seen from this figure that the highest flux - density occurs in the rotor back iron . since the rotor is located outside of the stator , the rotor diameter at the area facing the stator is larger than for an inner rotor configuration . the torque of a motor is proportional to the volume in the motor air - gap ( l * π * d 2 / 4 ) where l is the active stack length and d is the rotor diameter . because the diameter d is larger than that of an internal rotor induction motor , a reduced value for the stack length l is achievable for a given torque . an illustrative embodiment of the outer rotor induction motor of the present invention has a ratio d / l of 0 . 7 . by comparison with the inner rotor induction motor configuration , the outer rotor solution has a higher ( torque ):( total volume ) ratio . the main loss component in a motor is the stator winding copper loss . the primary way of dissipating heat from the stator to the ambient environment in a conventional motorized drum having a closed thermal system is by means of conducting the motor heat to oil that in turn conducts the motor heat to the drum shell . the heat in the drum shell can then be conducted to the conveyor belt , if one exists , or convected to the ambient air , if no belt is present . however , it is a significant feature of the present invention that oil is not used . instead , a gas flow loop 18249 ( see , fig1 ), which in some embodiments is an air flow loop , is generated by use of a one or more axial air impellers having , for example , rotary fins . in the embodiment of fig1 , a centrifugal rotary fin 18240 is attached to the primary rotor end lid 18233 . this fan impeller fin , like the outer turning rotor , has a larger diameter than if it were attached to an inner turning rotor , and accordingly has greater effective gas flow . the gas flow loop has an axial toroidal flow path between the rotor and the stator and another toroidal axial flow path in the opposite direction between the rotor and the inner surface of the drum shell , which is substantially impermeable . the secondary rotor end lid 18234 is simply spoked to have minimal effect on the gas flow loop generated by centrifugal rotary fins 18240 . in other embodiments that are not herein shown , axial fin designs are embedded into the primary and secondary rotor end lids to generate the gas flow . an outer turning rotor significantly reduces the likelihood of catastrophic motor failure that would result from deflection and misalignment inherent in conventional motorized drums . in the present invention , as shown in fig3 , fixed stator shaft 03210 of motor 03200 serves as the fixed central shaft 03210 of motorized drum 03000 mounted to drum shell 03700 by means of base unit bearings 03710 and 03711 . in this construction , during operation , the only significantly deflecting part is fixed central shaft 03210 . stator 03220 is directly affixed to central shaft 03210 and outer turning rotor 03230 is affixed to the fixed central shaft by rotor bearing 03231 in the primary rotor end lid 03233 and by rotor bearing 03232 in secondary rotor end lid 03234 . therefore , stator 03220 and outer turning rotor 03230 move in tandem as the fixed central shaft 03210 deflects . fig1 - 17 relate to an embodiment of the present invention wherein the outer turning rotor is of a permanent magnet motor . fig1 is a cross - sectional representation of the outer turning permanent magnet motor 03200 . in this illustrative embodiment , magnets are embedded in magnet receiving slots between inner and outer circumferential peripheral surfaces of a ferromagnetic rotor element , such as a rotor 03230 , in polarity pairs of north magnets 13244 and south magnets 13243 . the rotor rotates around stator 03220 . the magnets are arranged so that every other magnet has an opposite polarity , thus forming an alternating pattern of north paired magnets 13244 and south paired magnets 13243 . the magnets shown are rectangular with a magnet face intermediate of two corners . further , the magnet pairs are arranged so that the adjacent polarity corners are radially outward of the distal same - polarity corners . in this fashion , the magnetic flux is focused by the angled pairs of magnets and therefore causes a feedback in the stator 03220 that is sensed by the controlling power electronics ( not shown ) to determine the position of rotor 03230 relative to stator 03220 . one advantage of this design is that no additional physical encoders or sensors are required to be inserted into motorized drum 03000 for the controlling power electronics to drive motor 03200 properly . further , in this illustrative embodiment , rotor 03230 does not utilize a housing . instead , rotor lamination 03241 , shown in fig1 b , utilizes a circumferential gap or hole 13246 between the same polarity magnet pairs through which the lamination stack is fastened between both rotor end lids by means of rotor lamination clamp bolt 03242 ( fig3 ). this design minimizes the overall diameter of motor 03200 , enabling achievement of greater torque density . fig1 a and 14 b further illustrate the magnetic flux circuit through the rotor laminations pattern that is created with this illustrative embodiment . fig1 , 16 , and 17 illustrate another embodiment of the permanent magnet motor . in this embodiment , the magnets are not embedded into the outer turning rotor , but rather the magnets 15245 are surface mounted to the interior periphery ( not specifically designated ) of the rotor housing . in this embodiment , the magnets are configured in a spiral , which reduces cogging torque . however , in other embodiments , the spiral , or helical , configuration is not required and the magnets are surface mounted axially along the inner periphery of the rotor housing , with an adhesive , for example . fig1 is a cross - section representation through a conventional cycloidal speed reducer 19100 , which is commonly mounted to a standard external motor by bolting the face ( not specifically designated ) of the cycloidal reducer housing to the external motor ( not shown in this figure ). in this representation of prior art , cycloidal reducer housing 19160 functions as the fixed reference point of the reducer . around the inner periphery of the cycloidal reducer housing 19160 , ring pins 19161 are inset . in some low reduction ratios , the ring pins 19161 are encased by ring pin bushings 19162 , which , in turn , function as the internal - toothed ring gear that engages the external toothed gear or cycloidal disk 19140 . in other higher reduction ratios , not shown , the ring pins are inset in the housing without bushings and engage the cycloidal disk directly . eccentric input shaft 19111 rotates and urges the cycloidal disk 19140 to oscillate about the ring pin bushings 19162 of the internal - toothed ring gear . in fig1 , there are twelve ring pin bushings 19162 , or internal gear teeth , about the inner circumference of the cycloidal reducer housing 19160 and there are eleven lobes , or external gear teeth , about the outer circumference of the cycloidal disk 19140 . each full revolution of the eccentric input shaft 19111 causes the lobes of the cycloidal disk 19140 to engage each subsequent ring pin bushing 19162 . therefore , in this illustrative embodiment , because the cycloidal disk 19140 has eleven lobes and there are twelve ring pin bushings 19162 , the cycloidal disk 19140 has engaged only eleven of the twelve ring pin bushings 19162 , effectively causing the cycloidal disk 19140 to rotate backward one ring pin bushing . generally , a cycloidal disk has n external teeth engaging at least n + 1 internal teeth in the ring gear . as the cycloidal disk 19140 rotates , apertures 19141 in the cycloidal disk 19140 engage guide pins 19152 and guide pin bushings 19153 , causing the guide pins 19152 and bushings 19153 to rotate with the cycloidal disk 19140 . these guide pins 19152 and bushings 19153 are affixed to a guide pin support ring ( not shown ), which functions as the output of the reducer . this concept is clearly employed in the conventional drum motor of fig2 , where the face of cycloidal reducer housing 19160 ( labeled 2020 in fig2 ) is bolted to a conventional motor . an output shaft 2030 of fig2 is rigidly connected internally to the guide pins 19152 and guide pin bushings 19153 of fig1 . fig2 is a cross - section through a cycloidal speed reducer of the present invention 20100 , which is mounted within a motorized drum ( not shown in this figure ). unlike the prior art where the face of the cycloidal reducer housing is bolted to the motor , in this illustrative embodiment , cycloidal reducer housing 20160 , which is the internal ring gear , is mounted directly to the inner periphery of the drum shell 03700 . therefore , cycloidal reducer housing 20160 does not serve as the fixed reference point of the reducer , but instead serves as the output of the reducer , rotating synchronously with the drum shell 03700 . in the embodiment of fig2 , there are shown twenty ring pins 20161 and twenty ring pin bushings 20162 about the inner circumference of the cycloidal housing 20160 , which function as the inner ring gear . there are nineteen lobes about the outer circumference of the cycloidal disk 20140 . in this embodiment , the guide pins 20152 and guide pin bushings 20153 are affixed to a guide pin support ring 03150 , also referred to as a guide pin housing , ( not shown in fig2 ) that is coupled to the central fixed shaft 03210 ( not shown in fig2 ) by means of a high torque coupler 03350 ( not shown in fig2 ) in order to function as the fixed reference point of the cycloidal reducer 20100 . as the eccentric input shaft 20110 rotates , the apertures 20141 in the cycloidal disk 20140 engage guide pins 20152 and guide pin bushings 20153 , the cycloidal disk oscillates around the guide pins 20152 and guide pin bushings 20153 . this oscillation movement of cycloidal disk 20140 engages each subsequent ring pin bushing 20162 . since there are more ring pin bushings 20162 than lobes on the cycloidal disk 20140 , the internal ring gear of the cycloidal housing 20160 is advanced one ring pin bushing 20153 for every full rotation of the eccentric input shaft 20110 . thus the internal ring gear rotates at a reduced rate relative top the input shaft . in the preferred illustrative embodiment of fig2 , eccentric input shaft 20110 of the cycloidal reducer 20100 is tubular with a hollow bore , thereby enabling the stator winding leads 03223 ( not shown in fig2 ) and the central shaft 03210 ( not shown in fig2 ) of the motorized drum 03000 ( not shown in fig2 ) to pass through the center of the cycloidal reducer 20100 . fig3 of the same preferred embodiment shows the stator winding leads 03223 and the central shaft 03210 passing through the hollow bore eccentric input shaft 03110 of the cycloidal reducer 03100 . an advantage of this design is that the cycloidal reducer 03100 is mounted to the drum shell 03700 , which is the most rigid element of the motorized drum 03000 . there is sufficient clearance between the hollow bore input shaft 20110 and the central shaft 03210 so that when the central shaft deflects , it has no impact upon the cycloidal reducer 03100 because it has no contact with the hollow bore eccentric input shaft 20110 . a further advantage of the preferred embodiment of fig3 and 20 is that the heat generated from the rolling action of the cycloidal reducer elements is conducted immediately to the drum shell 03700 by means of the direct contact of the cycloidal reducer housing 20160 , 03160 to the drum shell 03700 . by engaging the cycloidal housing 20160 directly to the drum shell 03700 , a larger cycloidal reducer 20100 can be used within a given drum shell diameter , thus enabling a greater torque density of the motorized drum 03000 for a given axial length . as cycloidal reducers are inherently axially compact , the torque density is maximized for both the axial length and available internal diameter of the drum shell . in some embodiments where high speed reductions are required , another embodiment of a high torque reducer is harmonic speed reducer 21800 shown in fig2 . fig2 is a simplified schematic representation of a motorized drum 21000 that utilizes a harmonic speed reducer 21800 with a hollow bore input , wherein the major axis of wave generator 21810 is in the horizontal position . harmonic speed reducer 21800 operates using the same basic principles as a cycloidal reducer , in that the rigid circular spline 21830 has more teeth than the flexible spline member 21820 being driven by the wave generator 21810 . every revolution of the wave generator 21810 effectively causes the rigid circular spline 21830 to advance by the amount of teeth that exceed the number of teeth of the flexible spline member 21820 . in this embodiment , rigid circular spline 21830 is mounted directly to drum shell 03700 and functions as the output of harmonic speed reducer 21800 . flexible spline 21820 is affixed to the central shaft by means of an affixing pin 21831 and functions as the fixed reference point of the harmonic speed reducer 21800 . wave generator 21810 , which is the input of harmonic speed reducer 21800 , is hollow so as to allow stator lead wires 03223 and central shaft 03210 to pass through the center of harmonic speed reducer 21800 . fig2 is shows the same harmonic speed reducer of fig2 , wherein the major axis of the wave generator is in the vertical position . fig2 and 24 are simplified isometric representations of the hollow bore input 03110 of the cycloidal reducer of the present invention . it is of a substantially tubular configuration utilizing protuberances referred to as protruding tabs 23130 to receive the motor input and utilizing integral eccentric raceways 23120 to engage the cycloidal disk input gears ( not shown ). in this illustrative embodiment , the input shaft of the cycloidal reducer is hollow , enabling the central shaft and stator winding leads to pass through the center of the cycloidal reducer . fig2 is a simplified partially exploded isometric schematic representation that is useful to illustrate the power transmission coupling arrangement between the outer rotor of an electric motor , a cycloidal speed reducer , and a central shaft of an embodiment of the invention . this figure demonstrates how the present invention accommodates the misalignment and deflection inherent in all motorized drums in an axially compact manner . central shaft 03210 of the motor 03200 extends throughout motorized drum 03000 ( not specifically designated in this figure ), specifically extending through the center of the hollow bore eccentric input shaft 20110 of the cycloidal reducer . in this preferred illustrative embodiment , the angular and concentric misalignments between motor 03200 and eccentric input shaft 20110 of cycloidal reducer caused by the deflection of central shaft 03210 , are accommodated by a high speed coupler 03310 . the protruding rotor tabs 03247 engage the slots on the outer circumference of the axially narrow high speed coupler 03310 . additionally , protruding tabs 23130 of hollow bore eccentric input shaft 20110 of the cycloidal reducer engage slots in the inner circumference of high speed coupler 03310 . proper clearance between the outer slots of the high speed coupler 03310 and rotor tabs 03247 , and proper clearance between the inner slots of high speed coupler 03310 and hollow bore eccentric input shaft tabs 23130 , as well as proper clearance between the outer diameter of central shaft 03210 and the inner diameter of high speed coupler 03310 , enable the coupler to angle and slide across the various driving faces . guide pins 20152 and guide pin bushings 20153 around which cycloidal disks 20140 oscillate are affixed to primary guide pin support ring 03150 . primary guide pin support ring 03150 has internal slots on the axial side of the primary guide support ring opposite motor 03200 . these internal slots receive the protruding tabs of high torque coupler 03350 . high torque coupler 03350 has keyways on the inner circumference and is affixed to the central shaft by shaft keys 03351 . in this way , the fixed reference point of the cycloidal reducer is effectively connected to central shaft 03210 . fig2 a is a simplified schematic representation of motorized drum 03000 , having a coupler arrangement ( not shown in this figure ) constructed in accordance with the invention . fig2 b is a plan cross - sectional representation of a shaft coupler 03350 , and fig2 c is an end view of motorized drum 03000 . these figures show motorized drum 03000 to have a drum shell 03700 arranged to be rotatable about the central motor shaft 03210 . the drum shell is sealed on the left - hand side of fig2 a to central motor shaft 03210 by an end lid 03410 . fig2 is a simplified cross - sectional representation of the embodiment of fig2 taken along section a - a of fig2 a and showing the coupling between the motor , the reducer and the shaft . as shown in this figure , an electric motor 03200 is coupled by means of high speed coupler 03310 noted above that is coupled to the cycloidal reducer input 27110 . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , the cycloidal reducer fixed reference 27150 is connected to central motor shaft 03210 by high torque coupler 03350 . drum shell 03700 is urged into rotation by virtue of its connection to the cyclo drive output 27160 . high torque coupler 03350 prevents rotatory motion of cycloidal reducer fixed reference 27150 relative to central motor shaft 03210 , while simultaneously accommodating for misalignment of central shaft 03210 relative to the cycloidal reducer fixed reference 27150 when the central shaft 03210 is flexed under load . high speed coupler 03310 also accommodates for misalignment between motor 03200 and the cycloidal input 27110 that results from the flexing of central motor shaft 03210 . in this cross - sectional representation , rotor tabs 03247 are not seen because one is outside the surface of the figure and the other is behind the central motor shaft . fig2 is a simplified schematic representation of the coupling between rotor 03230 of electric motor 03200 , cycloidal reducer 03100 , and central shaft 03210 of an embodiment of the invention . fig2 is a simplified partially exploded isometric representation of the coupling system between rotor 03230 of electric motor 03200 , cycloidal reducer 03100 , and central motor shaft 03210 . fig3 is another simplified partially exploded isometric representation , viewed from a second angle , of the coupling system between rotor 03230 of electric motor 03200 , cycloidal reducer 03100 , and central motor shaft 03210 . elements of structure that have previously been discussed are similarly designated . as shown in these figures , the high speed coupler is configured to have two radially outward slots about the outer circumference to receive rotor tabs 03247 of motor 03230 , and two radially inward slots about the inner circumference to receive the protruding tabs of cycloidal reducer input 27110 . the slots or notches of the high speed coupler function as key ways and are arranged in substantially 90 ° displacement relative to each other . the high speed coupler has four active orthogonal driving faces at any point in time . in fig3 , which shows an illustrative embodiment , two of the active driving faces 35312 , 35314 are parallel to each other and can be considered the first pair of the orthogonal driving faces ; and the other two active driving faces 35316 , 35318 are parallel to each other and can be considered the second pair of orthogonal driving faces . in this illustrative arrangement , the first pair of active drive faces is orthogonal to the second pair of active drive faces . two orthogonal driving faces 35312 , 35314 actively receive torque from two respective orthogonal driving faces 35311 , 35313 from the rotor tabs , which can be considered drive elements . two orthogonal driving faces 35318 , 35316 transmit torque to two respective orthogonal driving faces 35317 , 35315 of cycloidal reducer input 27110 , which can be considered to have a pair of driven elements . therefore , a total of eight orthogonal driving faces are constantly engaged during operation . a variety of orthogonal arrangements are possible . fig3 is a simplified schematic isometric representation that shows a high speed coupler 31310 with protruding tabs about the outer circumference to receive slots from the outer turning rotor , and protruding tabs about the inner circumference to receive slots in the hollow bore eccentric cycloidal reducer input shaft . fig3 is a simplified schematic isometric representation that shows slots about the inner circumference of high speed coupler 32310 to receive the rotor tabs , and protruding tabs about the inner circumference of high speed coupler 32310 to receive the slots of the hollow bore eccentric input shaft of the cycloidal reducer . fig3 is a simplified schematic isometric representation that further shows two slots about the inner circumference of high speed coupler , also referred to as an engagement coupler or speed coupler , 33319 to receive the rotor tabs , and one protruding tab about the inner circumference and one slot about the inner circumference in order to receive a corresponding slot and tab from the hollow bore eccentric input shaft of the cycloidal reducer . fig3 is a simplified schematic isometric representation that shows high speed coupler 34310 of this illustrative embodiment more clearly by eliminating the central shaft from the drawing . an advantage of this high speed coupling is that angular and concentric misalignment between the rotor and the input of the cycloidal reducer is accommodated , yet uninterrupted torque is delivered to the cycloidal reducer . as noted , the cycloidal fixed reference 27150 of fig2 - 30 is fixed relative to central shaft 03210 , but is permitted to accommodate misalignment resulting from the flexing of the central shaft when the system is under lateral load . this accommodation is achieved by a reference coupler arrangement in which a high torque coupler , also referred to as an engagement coupler or reference coupler , 03350 is rotationally fixed to central shaft 03210 by engagement with a radial shaft key 03351 that engages a corresponding keyway that extends longitudinally within high torque coupler 03350 . high torque coupler 03350 is circumferentially configured with protruding tabs to fit within a corresponding slot in the fixed reference of the cycloidal reducer . therefore , the same concept of orthogonal driving faces employed with the high speed coupler of fig3 is employed , as well , by the high torque coupler . fig3 is another simplified schematic representation of an illustrative embodiment of the means by which the high torque coupler is affixed to the shaft . rather than using keyways with matching keys , a keyless bushing 35352 is used . the advantage of a keyless bushing is that a smaller diameter central shaft can be used in the practice of the invention . fig3 is a simplified axial cross - sectional representation of a motorized drum 36000 of an embodiment of the present invention , wherein an extension shaft 36560 is mounted to mounting face 36512 of base unit 03010 ( denoted in fig3 ). extension shaft 36560 is rigidly connected to clamp ring 36530 that is affixed against mounting face 03512 by use of a plurality of fasteners ( extension clamping bolts 36532 ) extending through clamp ring 36530 and threading into mounting ring 03510 on the opposite side of mounting face 03512 . the mounting ring is located some distance from the determined region of rotary power delivery or where the reducer delivers power to the drum shell . axially inward of mounting face 03512 is mounting ring 03510 . the mounting ring 03510 has a chamfer on the outer circumference of its axially outward face . the chamfer of mounting ring 03510 is in direct contact with spring ring 03511 . the spring ring , which may be formed of a hardened metal with an aggressive texture , may have a cross - sectional geometry that is generally circular or diamond or rectangular , for example . spring ring 03511 , mounting ring 03510 , and mounting face 03512 are held in place by means of mounting ring alignment bolts 36513 when an attachable component is not mounted to mounting face 03512 . in this illustrative embodiment , extension clamping bolts 36532 are used to draw clamp ring 36530 toward mounting ring 03510 thus causing the chamfer on mounting ring 03510 to be drawn against spring ring 03511 , forcing the spring ring to expand radially into drum shell 03700 , thereby transmitting the transaxial forces of extension shaft 36560 into drum shell 03700 . fig3 is a simplified axial cross - sectional representation of a motorized drum 37000 of a further embodiment of the present invention , wherein clamp ring 37530 of extension shaft 37560 directly contacts with mounting ring 37510 of base unit 03010 ( denoted in fig3 ), without the use of an intervening mounting face . in this embodiment , mounting ring 37510 has a similar chamfer as in fig3 and is drawn similarly against spring ring 37511 by use of fasteners extending through clamp ring 37530 . fig3 is a simplified axial cross - sectional representation of a motorized drum of a particular embodiment of the present invention , wherein an extension shell attachment 03560 ( denoted in fig3 ) is attached to mounting face 03510 of base unit 03010 ( denoted in fig3 ) and held in place by means of a large central nut 38551 . before mounting extension shell attachment 03560 , threaded flange 38550 is mounted to mounting face 03512 by use of a plurality of fasteners ( not shown ) that thread into mounting ring 03510 , thereby drawing the chamfer of mounting ring 03510 against spring ring 03511 such that spring ring 03511 expands radially into drum shell 03700 . additionally , clamp ring 03530 is inserted into extension shell attachment 03560 and a secondary spring ring 03531 is inserted into a circumferential groove in the inner periphery of extension shell attachment 03560 axially outward of clamp ring 03530 . then , extension shell attachment 03560 is placed against base unit 03010 and a central nut 38551 is inserted from opposite end of shell extension attachment 03560 . this central nut 38551 is treaded onto threaded flange 38550 , thereby drawing clamp ring 03531 against secondary spring ring 03531 causing secondary spring ring 03531 to expand radially into extension shell attachment 03560 . fig3 is an isometric exploded view of the mounting face system utilized in attaching extension shell component 03560 to base unit 03010 of a motorized drum 03000 , as an embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , rather than using one central nut , a plurality of extension clamping bolts 03532 are used with mating cam faced washers 03533 . the same principles demonstrated in fig3 are shown in fig3 . additionally , a bolt holder 03534 aids in mounting of extension shell attachment 03560 by assuring the extension clamping bolts 03532 remain in clamp ring 03530 during installation , while accommodating for the extra distance required by extension clamping bolts 03532 that are not yet threaded into mounting ring 03510 . the end lid is connected to the motorized drum by means of an embossed spring band . fig4 is a simplified representation of an embossed spring band 03420 , also known as a tolerance ring . fig4 is an isometric cut - away of one embodiment of embossed spring band 03571 that holds end lid 03570 against the motorized drum in a drum shell closure arrangement of the present invention . the embossed spring band 03571 is disposed between two concentric protuberances , also referred to as cylindrical geometries , of end lid 03570 and mounting face 03512 and when the two concentric protuberances are nested together in an end lid assembly , embossed spring band 03571 is compressed creating an interference fit between the two concentric protuberances . the mating concentric protuberances of the end lid and the mounting face have different nominal diameters . in another illustrative embodiment , a static polymeric seal is disposed between the end lid and the drum shell . fig4 ( a ) is a simplified cross - sectional representation of such an embodiment . a polymeric seal 03572 is enclosed between end lid 03570 and drum shell 03700 . a ring compression geometry is about the outer circumference of the axial inward face of end lid 03570 . when end lid 03570 is held in place by the embossed spring ring , the ring compression geometry imposes a compressive force on seal 03572 . in another embodiment , not shown in figure , the ring compression geometry is on an axially outward face of the drum shell about an outer circumference of the end lid . fig4 ( b ) is a simplified cross - sectional representation of an embodiment of the compression geometry utilized in the end lid where the end lid contacts the static drum shell seal in the motorized drum of the present invention and the ring compression geometry utilized in the end lid where the end lid contacts the rotary seal , also referred to as radial seal , in response to the application of an installation force , the end lid remaining in fixed relation to the polymeric rotary seal by operation of an embossed spring band that is deformed upon installation . examples of rotary seals include rotary lip seals , rotary shaft seals or polymeric rotary lip seals . the embodiment of fig4 ( b ) bears similarity to that of fig4 ( a ), and accordingly , elements of structure that have previously been discussed are similarly designated . fig4 is a simplified cross - sectional representation of another illustrative embodiment wherein a compressive force is maintained against seal 03450 by designing end lid 03410 with a thin wall , also referred to as an annular web , in the radial distance between the embossed spring band and the outer diameter to create a spring - like effect resulting from the axially resilient characteristic of the annular web . in this embodiment , the central portion of the end lid is held axially inward by embossed spring band 03420 slightly farther than the natural contact point between the outer portion of end lid 03410 and outer static seal 03450 thereby maintaining a constant compressive force against static seal 03450 . inasmuch as end lid 03570 covers mounting face 03512 on one side of motorized drum 03000 , and inasmuch as compressed embossed spring band 03571 requires three tons of force to remove it , end lid 03570 has been designed with a geometry that mates with a removal tool clamp for simple removal in the field . fig4 is a simplified isometric representation of one embodiment of the end lid removal tool as it is attached to the end lid of the motorized drum . fig4 is a simplified isometric exploded representation of the embodiment of fig4 . end lid 03410 has a recessed , outer circumferential geometry 46920 , also referred to as an end lid recess . removal tool clamp 46940 has a recessed , inner circumferential geometry 46930 , also referred to as an tool recess , that corresponds to geometry 46920 of end lid 03410 . when removal tool clamp 46940 is placed over end lid 03410 , two recessed geometries 46920 , 46930 form a circular channel . a joining cord 46910 of a slightly smaller diameter than the circular channel is inserted through a tangential hole , or inlet , in removal tool clamp 46940 . the inserted joining cord 46910 effectively locks end lid 03410 to removal tool clamp 46940 , which can now be easily removed with a force generating arrangement , such as slide hammer 46950 . fig4 is a simplified cross - sectional representation of one embodiment of the compression geometry utilized in the end lid where the end lid contacts the rotary shaft seal of the motorized drum . a polymeric seal 03542 is placed directly against end lid 03570 . end lid 03570 has a ring compression geometry on its axial inward face about its outer circumference . a seal compression plate 03540 is attached to the end lid by a plurality of fasteners 03541 , compressing seal 03542 between seal compression plate 03540 and end lid 03570 to form an end lid seal assembly . a significant compressive force is applied at the ring compression geometry of end lid 03570 preventing ingress of bacteria between seal 03542 and end lid 03570 . in another embodiment , not shown in figure , the ring compression geometry is on a axially outward face of the seal compression plate about an inner circumference of the end lid . fig4 is a simplified partially cross - sectional representation of an embodiment of the rotary shaft seal compression system of a motorized drum . fig4 is a simplified schematic representation of a cleaning - in - place system for the rotary shaft seals of the motorized drum . the cleaning - in - place system includes : a shaft 48210 with first cleaning conduit 48610 and second cleaning conduit 48611 ; an inlet port 48620 attached to first cleaning conduit 48610 ; an outlet port 48621 attached to second cleaning conduit 48611 ; an annular chamber 48613 formed between first and second radial seals 48630 , 48631 ; in this illustrative embodiment , seals 48630 , 48631 are stacked between end lid 48570 and seal compression plate 48540 and separated by seal spacer ring 48541 , thus forming annular chamber 48613 . a plurality of fasteners draw seal compression plate 48540 axially toward end lid 48570 . in a preferred embodiment , end lid 48570 includes a ring compression geometry on its axial inward face about its inner circumference ( not shown in fig4 ), which imposes a compressive force against radial seal 48630 . in another embodiment ( also not shown in fig4 ) a ring compression geometry is on an axial outward face of the seal spacer ring about an inner circumference of the end lid . cleaning agents are delivered through inlet port 48620 into first cleaning conduit 48610 and into annular chamber 48613 and exit second cleaning conduit 48611 and outlet port 48621 . when desired , outlet port 48621 can be used to restrict the flow , thus building greater pressure in annular chamber 48613 . when this pressure increases sufficiently , polymeric seal 48630 will be deflected outward and up and the cleaning fluid will pass between the radial face of seal 48630 and the surface of shaft 48210 . fig4 further has a fluid conduit 48612 and a fluid port 48622 wherein fluid can be inserted or removed from drum chamber 48615 , which is a sealed region . fig4 is a schematic of a seal monitoring system incorporating a conveyor component known as a drum motor . the seal monitoring system is comprised , in this embodiment , of a sealed drum chamber 48615 , from which proceeds a fluid line 49100 in which , there is a sensor 49200 to measure pressure that reports to controller 49300 . subsequent to said sensor 49200 is a valve 49400 subsequently connected to pump 49500 . both the valve 49400 and pump 49500 may be controlled by the controller 49300 . pump 49500 may be capable of adding or subtracting fluids , particularly gases , to or from the drum chamber 48615 . alternatively , the sensor 49200 could be incorporated in a manner other than shown to measure flow of the fluid in said fluid line 49100 . additionally , the sensor 49200 could be mounted internal to the sealed drum chamber 48615 and may be attached to fluid line 49100 or it may be connected to the external environment in some other manner . fig5 is an axial cross - section of a motorized drum of another particular embodiment of the present invention , wherein an extension shell attachment 50560 is attached to the mounting ring 50510 . in this embodiment , the drum shell 50700 is fitted with an internally beveled chamfer and the extension shell attachment 50560 is fitted with a mating externally beveled chamfer , referred to collectively as mating chamfers 50450 , by which the drum shell 50700 and the extension shell attachment 50560 are drawn together by a plurality of extension clamping bolts 50532 threading into the mounting ring 50510 . axially inward of the mounting face 50512 is the mounting ring 50510 . the mounting ring 50510 has a groove on the periphery of the outer circumference of its axially outward face . this groove is in direct contact with the spring ring 50511 . axially inward of the chamfered end of the extension shell attachment 50560 is a radially installed groove in which a spring ring 50531 is fitted . axially inward of the spring ring 50531 is the clamp ring 50530 . the extension clamping bolts 50532 are used to draw the clamp ring 50530 toward the mounting ring 50510 thus causing the chamfer on the extension shell attachment 50560 to mate coaxially under compression with the chamfer on the drum shell 50700 , resulting in mating chamfers 50450 , thereby transmitting the transaxial forces of the extension shell attachment 50560 into the drum shell 50700 . eliminating the need for oil in the motor system , which poses a risk of cross contamination in sanitary applications ; increasing the torque density of the motor within a fixed diameter and motor length ; transmitting core stator heat to the drum shell through via a gas with the use of circumferential gas turbulence between the stator and the rotor and between the rotor and the drum shell where it can be removed by the belt ; avoiding the need for additional position sensors to communicate the rotor position to the power electronics with the use of magnets , in some embodiments , that are embedded in the lamination stack and thereby cause a variation in magnetic flux around the circumference of the rotor , which variation can be detected by the power electronics that are connected to the stator windings ; and accommodating the deflection caused through belt pull . although the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments and applications , persons skilled in the art can , in light of this teaching , generate additional embodiments without exceeding the scope , or departing from the spirit , of the invention described herein . accordingly , it is to be understood that the drawing and description in this disclosure are proffered to facilitate comprehension of the invention , and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof . | 1 |
the present invention is directed to the use of isothermal denaturation . the methodology can be used to screen for ligands to a wide variety of molecules , particularly proteins , including those with unknown function . significantly , the methods of the present invention eliminate the necessity of ramping temperatures up and down and should allow for much faster assay development and higher throughput in an hts or uhts automated environment . the technology should be easily expandable to looking for compounds that bind to rna , dna , α - acidic glycoprotein , and serum albumin , for example . isothermal denaturation offers an attractive alternative method for monitoring denaturation ( e . g ., unfolding of a target species ) and for the identification of binding ligands . it is amenable to hts and uhts . furthermore , the denaturation process is easily controllable , reproducible , and independent of the heating rate . the choice of temperature used in isothermal denaturation can be determined by measuring the rate of denaturation of the target species at a series of temperatures ( e . g ., within a range of about 45 ° c . to about 75 ° c .). these measurements may be made , for example , using a fluorescent reporter molecule that binds to and reports conformational changes associated with the unfolding of the target molecule . alternatively , denaturation signals can be monitored using uv absorbance , cd ellipticity , or by microcalorimetry studies with the target species , for example . preferably , a preliminary dsc scan is run to determine t m ( midpoint temperature ) of the target species in appropriate buffers that enhance the stability of the target over a long period of time as would be known to one skilled in the art . during the binding experiments , all components are maintained at one given temperature ( preferably ± about 0 . 2 ° c .) which is chosen to produce a slow , easily monitored denaturation of the target protein . if the temperature of isothermal denaturation is too low , the kinetics are too slow . generally , it is desirable to have a detectable amount of denaturing ( e . g ., unfolding ) occur within about 60 minutes or less . if the temperature is too high , the kinetics are so fast that the test compound would not be able to stabilize the denatured target species resulting , for example , in too great an extent of unfolding . too much unfolding can cause aggregation that could result in precipitation of the target . furthermore , at too high a temperature , the test compound may not bind at all . preferably , the desired temperature for isothermal denaturing is equal to the t m value ± about 10 ° c . of the target species as determined by dsc . more preferably , this temperature is equal to or up to about 10 ° c . less than the t m value of the target species . the target species , preferably together with a suitable reporter molecule able to monitor its denaturation , is incubated in the presence and absence of the target species . in a preferred embodiment , the concentration of the compound and that of the reporter molecule are of comparable magnitude ( preferably , no greater than about 1 μm ), but may require the reporter molecule to be in excess relative to the target molecule , whereas the concentration of the test compound is in at least a 10 - fold excess . the percent inhibition cutoff for a “ hit ” can be set prior to assay implementation , or determined statistically during or after all screening has been performed . fluorescence techniques are rapidly becoming the detection methods of choice for hts and uhts . thus , in certain preferred embodiments of the present invention , fluorescence molecules are used as the markers of choice . coupling fluorescence techniques with denaturation by isothermal methods is attractive because in isothermal denaturation the quantum yield of an extrinsically added reporter molecule is dependent only on changes in protein folding and not on temperature effects . further , any change in the fluorescence quantum yield measures binding of the reporter molecule to different denatured forms of the target species . thus , alteration of target stability by a bound ligand should be easily detectable . the present invention demonstrates that isothermal denaturation can be used to determine if known competitive inhibitors / ligands could bind to target species . the results are comparable to those obtained by other methods . the agreement of the denaturation kinetics from three different detection methods confirms that the same unfolding processes are being measured using the methods of the present invention . the fluorescence of the reporter molecule should preferably increase several - fold ( preferably , at least about 2 - fold ) upon denaturation of the target . for proteins , this is typically accompanied by the exposure of the protein &# 39 ; s hydrophobic regions . the reporter molecules should also preferably have low affinity for the native target ; that is , the fluorescence of the native target / reporter molecule complex is linear over a wide concentration range or , preferably , does not bind to the native target at all so that it does not become a ligand itself . finally , since compound libraries generally contain numerous compounds that absorb and / or fluoresce between about 300 nanometers ( nm ) and about 400 nm , the reporter molecule should preferably have excitation and emission in the visible region where few compounds interfere , e . g ., excitation at about 488 nm and emission at about 515 nm . reporter molecules ( e . g ., fluorescent dyes ) are commercially available from sources such as molecular probes ( eugene , oreg .) and fluoresce brightly when bound to hydrophobic regions of the target molecule . these include sypro orange , sypro red , nano orange , nile red , 1 - anilinonaphthalene - 8 - sulfonic acid ( 1 , 8 - ans ), and dapoxylbutylsulfonamide ( dbs ) as well as other dapoxyl analogs . nano orange fluorescence provides an ultra - sensitive dye for quantification of proteins in solution with a linear fluorescence range of about 10 nanograms / milliliter ( ng / ml ) to about 10 micrograms / milliliter ( μg / ml ) with a very low background fluorescence . sypro orange and sypro red are used for gel staining with sensitivity as good as silver staining . the basis for the increase in fluorescence of the dyes with protein denaturation is their binding to newly exposed hydrophobic sites . 1 , 8 - ans has been used extensively for many years to monitor the unfolding of proteins ; however , its quantum yield when bound to the denatured protein is much lower than those of the dyes discussed above and , thus , would require the use of large quantities of protein and reporter molecule in the assays . dbs is a relatively new , solvatochromic dye whose fluorescence emission may shift as much as 100 nm upon changing the environment . due to its lower excitation and emission wavelengths , however , it is less desirable than nano orange , sypro orange , or sypro red for hts . any fluorescent reporter molecule whose emission intensity increases or decreases when bound to a desired target species can be used for isothermal denaturation . the affinity of a fluorescent reporter molecule toward a target species can be determined by measuring the fluorescence of a given concentration of the reporter molecule in the presence of increasing concentrations of the denatured target species and the native target species . knowing the affinity then allows one to optimize the concentration of the fluorescent reporter molecule relative to the target species . in addition to , or instead of , using noncovalent fluorescent reporter molecules that are added to a mixture of the test compound and target species , one may use target species labeled covalently with a pair of fluorophores , one of which quenches the fluorescence of the other . because unfolding of the target species changes the intermolecular distances between the two fluorophores , the denaturation is accompanied by changes in fluorescence . by labeling the same target species at specific sites , the denaturation at different structural regions can be monitored . although fluorescence techniques , particularly dye binding resulting in fluorescence enhancement are the detection methods of choice , other techniques can be used in the methods of the present invention . this can include , for example , monitoring : 1 ) the change in uv absorbance , for example , at 280 nm resulting from exposure of aromatic amino acid ( s ) to solvent ; 2 ) the change in molar ellipticity by circular dichroism ( cd ); 3 ) infra - red or nmr spectral shifts ; 4 ) changes in mobility on a support material ( e . g ., solid support ) such as size - exclusion chromatography , capillary electrophoresis , etc . none of these approaches necessarily requires the use of an extrinsic or intrinsic fluorescent reporter molecule . for target species that have a relatively high denaturation temperature , the experiments can be performed in the presence of a chaotrope , such as urea , guanidine hydrochloride , organic solvents , or any other reagents that promote protein denaturation without unduly interfering with binding of the reporter molecule with the target species . the exact experimental conditions for denaturation of each target molecule will vary . one skilled in the art can make appropriate decisions and / or experimentally determine appropriate buffer systems ( ph , ionic strength , ionic co - factors , etc .). for example , the isolectric point ( pi ) of a protein molecule would help determine what ph would be useful in these studies . in practice , the methods of the present invention can be carried out in a multi - reservoir sample holder , such as a microtiter plate . typically , all components but the target species are added and the multi - reservoir sample holder is held at the appropriate temperature for a period of time . after thermal equilibrium is reached , the sample holder is preferably transferred to a station where the target species is added to all reservoirs , preferably simultaneously . the multi - reservoir sample holder is typically sealed prior to addition of any components . for example , a microtiter plate can include a covering that is made of a plastic sheeting which seals the plate but is scored in such a way that a microtiter tip easily penetrates it but that it re - closes after tip removal . after introduction of the target species , the sample holder is either transferred immediately to an appropriate detector for reading the denaturation signal or to an incubator for holding until detection is desired . all steps can be performed either manually or by robot as desired . for high throughput screening , a commercially available zymark / zymate pcs system ( zymark corp ., zymark center , hopkinton , mass .) equipped with a rapid plate module , jacketed carousel , 10 - plate incubator system interfaced with a fluorescent plate reader can be used . this system can process 96 - and 384 - well microtiter plates and can be adapted for use in the isothermal denaturation method of the present invention . for example , the 10 - plate incubator can be modified with heating elements such as watlow flexible flat mat heaters for sample incubation . the temperature of the incubator can be further controlled by the use of a circulating waterbath . the zymark / zymate system includes a jacketed carousel that can be modified to include a temperature controlled humidifier and fan internally , and heat lamps externally , to assist in temperature control and to reduce loss of sample volume in the microtiter plates . the zymark / zymate system also includes a pipetting station ( rapid plate module ) that can be modified to include a heating block and heat lamps , for example . for fluorescence measurements , a bmg polarstar microplate reader ( bmg labtechnologies , inc ., durham , n . c .) can also be modified for control of temperature by a circulating waterbath ( e . g ., from about − 20 ° c . to about 90 ° c .). this system is automated using robotics and computer software , which can be modified to allow for the samples to experience isothermal conditions . using the methods of the present invention , the kinetics of isothermal denaturation of thymidylate kinase ( tk ) and of stromelysin , with and without the presence of their specific ligands , were monitored by long - wavelength fluorescent dyes whose quantum yields increase when bound to exposed hydrophobic regions of unfolded proteins . the time dependencies were all consistent with a reaction scheme of two consecutive first - order reactions . that is , the kinetics of denaturation for both proteins were best described by a biphasic model . thus , only two of the probably many steps are rate limiting . it is apparent that a significant amount of information of the kinetics of the unfolding processes are provided by the fluorescence measurements . the dependence of the rate constants on ligand concentration was analyzable in terms of a binding isotherm , reflecting the stabilizing effect of the protein / ligand complex . the method was validated by comparing its results with those obtained by steady - state fluorescence spectroscopy , circular dichroism , and uv spectrophotometry . the corresponding rate constants calculated from the results of the several analytical detection methods were comparable . the rate constants of both steps were dependent upon the binding of active - site ligands . the dissociation constants represent affinities of the ligands at the melting transition temperature . the affinity constants ( i . e .,“ dissociation constants ”) at physiological temperatures can be determined by extrapolation from measurements at two different temperatures . these results , coupled with those obtained in multi - well ( e . g ., 96 - well ) format , show that isothermal denaturation is a method of choice for hts , including uhts , for ligands with high specificity toward any given protein . having generally described the invention , the same will be more readily understood by reference to the following examples , which are provided by way of illustration and are not intended as limiting . sypro orange , sypro red , nano orange , 1 - anilinonaphthalene - 8 - sulfonic acid ( 1 , 8 - ans ), and dapoxylbutylsulfonamide ( dbs ) were purchased from molecular probes inc ., eugene , oreg . thymidine monophosphate ( tmp ) and all other reagents were from sigma - aldrich chemical company . all commercial chemicals used were reagent grade or better . the compound referred to as pnu - 143988 has the following structure : s . aureus thymidylate kinase was cloned by human genome sciences and purified by affinity chromatography using ni 2 + - nta columns purchased from qiagen ( qiagen inc ., valencia , calif .). for tk the isothermal denaturation took place in a 5 millimolar ( mm ) tris buffer , ph 7 . 80 , containing 0 . 5 mm β - mercaptoethanol and was measured at a temperature of 53 ° c ., with the exception of the validation experiments of the robotic assay which were carried out at 52 ° c . s . aureus uridylate kinase ( uk ) was cloned by human genome sciences and purified by affinity chromatography using ni 2 + - nta columns ( qiagen inc ., valencia , calif .). uk has a transition midpoint , t m , of 45 . 5 ° c . as determined by dsc using a buffer of 50 mm tris , 500 mm nacl , 10 % glycerol , and 5 mm β - mercaptoethanol , ph 7 . 8 . validation experiments for isothermal denaturation were performed at the t m , 41 ° c ., in ph 7 . 5 buffer composed of 50 mm tris , 200 mm kcl , 10 % glycerol , and 5 mm β - mercaptoethanol . stromelysin was cloned and purified as described by finzel et al ., prot . sci ., 7 ; 2118 - 2126 ( 1998 ). it has a t m of 75 ° c . as determined by dsc . this temperature was chosen for the following isothermal denaturation experiments . the buffer system for stromelysin consisted of 10 mm imidazole , 2 . 5 mm cacl 2 , 5 micromolar ( μm ) zncl 2 , ph 6 . 50 . stock solutions for all ligands were prepared in dimethylsulfoxide ( dmso ) unless noted otherwise . whenever the water solubility was high enough , secondary stock solutions were made in the buffer system for the particular protein ; otherwise , diluted stocks were prepared in dmso . a small aliquot of ligand solution , typically 10 μl or less , was added to buffer and equilibrated at the appropriate temperature in the cell before addition of the protein . control experiments assessed the effect of added dmso on protein denaturation . in some cases 0 . 1 % chaps ( weight / volume percent , ( 3 -[( 3 - choloamidopropyl )- dimethylammonio ]- 1 - propanesulfonate ) was added to the reaction mixture to counteract the effects of dmso . in order to validate the system , a subset of compounds which had been previously shown to be active in an activity assay for either thymidylate kinase or uridylate kinase was tested as a representative number of compounds having increased probability of being ligands for the protein targets . for fluorescence measurements , a photon counting iss k2 spectrofluorometer in the ratio mode was used ( iss inc ., urbana , ill .). the temperature was maintained within 0 . 2 ° c . throughout the experiments by means of a polysciences programmable temperature controller ( polysciences , niles , ill .). emission was observed on the filter channel using the following emission filters : 530 nanometer ( nm ) bandpass filter for nano orange , 590 nm cut - off for sypro orange , 630 nm cut - off for sypro red and nile red , and 470 nm cut - off for 1 , 8 - ans and dapoxylbutyl - sulfonamide . alternatively , fluorescence measurements were acquired by a bmg polarstar microplate reader ( bmg labtechnologies , inc ., durham , n . c .). temperature was controlled with a circulating waterbath . this instrument best detected nano orange using a 485 nm center wavelength , 15 nm bandpass excitation filter and a 580 nm center wavelength , 12 nm bandpass emission filter . the time - dependencies of the fluorescence of extrinsic dyes during isothermal denaturation were monitored as follows . the test dye was added to a stirred cuvette containing 2 milliliters ( ml ) of buffer that had been thermally preequilibrated at the desired temperature . a dye baseline was recorded for 45 seconds and the denaturation reaction initiated by the addition of a small aliquot of the protein stock solution . in this way , the protein reached the temperature of denaturation virtually instantaneously . in separate experiments , the protein was kept at the denaturation temperature in the absence of dye and the reporter molecule added at the end of the reaction . in the latter experiments , the fluorescence increase associated with the addition of dye was always instantaneous . in order to be certain that under the conditions of the experiment the dye itself would not complex a significant fraction of the native protein , a fixed amount of dye was titrated with increasing amounts of protein and showed that the fluorescence increase did not reach saturation . the three tryptophan residues of stromelysin are buried in the active site region and as such are sensitive reporters of the unfolding of the protein . thus , the isothermal denaturation of this protein was also measured by changes in the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence . for these experiments , the protein was added to buffer equilibrated in a cuvette at the temperature of isothermal denaturation . the excitation wavelength was 293 nm and the emission was monitored using a 320 ± 10 nm bandpass filter . dsc for stromelysin and tk was performed using an mc - 2 differential scanning calorimeter from microcal , inc . ( northampton , mass .). for stromelysin , the 1 . 2 ml sample cell of the calorimeter was filled with 150 μm enzyme in a ph 6 . 50 buffer containing 10 mm imidazole , 2 . 5 mm cacl 2 , and 5 mm zncl 2 . for tk , the calorimeter cell was filled with 15 μm enzyme in a 50 mm tris - hcl buffer , ph 7 . 70 , containing 0 . 50 m nacl , 10 % glycerol , and 5 mm 2 - mercaptoethanol . the reference cell was filled with the same buffer . the solutions were degassed for 5 minutes prior to scanning from 25 ° c . to 80 ° c . at a rate of 1 ° c ./ minute . baseline scans , collected with dialysate buffer in the sample cell , were subtracted from the protein scans and the resulting data converted to unit protein concentration . the y - axis of the instrument was calibrated using standard electrical heat pulses and the temperature scale was calibrated using n - octadecane and n - hexatriacontane which melt at 28 . 2 ° c . and 75 . 9 ° c ., respectively . circular dichroism ( cd ) spectra were measured using a jasco j - 715 spectropolarimeter ( jasco corp ., easton , md .) and a cylindrical quartz cell with a pathlength of 0 . 1 centimeter ( cm ) thermostated to within 0 . 1 ° c . by a haake d8 circulating water bath ( haake gmbh , karlsruhe , germany ). the concentration of the protein was chosen on the basis of its molar ellipticity and fell usually in the range of about 1 μm to about 20 μm . solutions of protein or protein with 10 - to 100 - fold excess of ligand were prepared prior to injection into the cell . each solution was first scanned at 22 ° c . from 178 nm to 260 nm with a response of 0 . 25 second , scan speed of 100 nm / minute , resolution and bandwidth of 1 . 0 nm and 5 accumulations . the cell was then rapidly heated to the temperature of isothermal denaturation and the time dependency of the ellipticity at 222 nm was monitored . dichroism was sampled with a bandwidth of 1 . 0 nm at 0 . 5 millisecond ( msec ) intervals and accumulated for 16 seconds . data were stored every one second as the running average of the 16 second bundles . after the time scan , a wavelength scan was performed at the same temperature . cells and buffer solutions with and without ligand were routinely checked for absorbance and dichroism . cells were thoroughly cleaned as described above and rinsed with distilled water and ethanol between experiments . uv absorbance was measured using a perkin - elmer lambda 40 uv - vis dual - beam spectrophotometer ( perkin - elmer corp . norwalk , conn .). a capped 1 . 0 cm pathlength quartz cuvette filled with buffer was placed in the reference beam . in the sample beam , a capped 1 . 0 cm path length quartz cuvette containing 1 . 5 ml of degassed buffer or buffer plus ligand — less the volume of protein solution to be added — was placed in a thermostated cell holder and equilibrated at the temperature of isothermal denaturation . the temperature was maintained within 0 . 1 ° c . using a neslab exacal ex200 circulating water bath ( neslab instruments , inc . portsmouth , n . h .). a 1 - 5 μl aliquot of the protein stock solution was added to the cuvette containing buffer or buffer plus ligand to yield a final volume of 1 . 5 ml and protein concentration near 0 . 5 μm . the cuvette was recapped and absorbance at 280 nm was measured every 1 second for up to 30 minutes with a bandwidth of 2 nm and response of 0 . 5 second . for each protein , the effects of several ligand concentrations were examined ranging from about 0 . 5 μm to about 400 μm . cuvettes were thoroughly cleaned as described above with nitric acid and with 10 % methanol and rinsed with distilled water and ethanol between experiments . only in a few cases was the time dependency of protein denaturation an apparent first - order process . those data were analyzed by a nonlinear least squares program using the equation : y = y o + δy . ( 1 − e − k exp . t ) equation 1 where y is the experimentally measured signal , y o is the background signal , δy is the total change in signal associated with the denaturation process , t is time and k exp is the experimentally measured apparent first - order rate constant . in general , the kinetics of denaturation displayed biphasic kinetics , often with a distinct induction period . those time courses were analyzed according to the reaction scheme of two consecutive first - order reactions : where k 1 , and k 2 are first - order rate constants and where , a priori , all three species contribute to the observed signal . the equation corresponding to the signal observed during these reactions is : y = . y a · - k 1 t + y b · k 1 k 2 - k 1 ( - k 1 t - - k 2 t ) + y c [ 1 + 1 k 1 - k 2 ( k 2 - k 1 t - k 1 - k 2 t ) ] equation 3 where y a , y b , and y c are the signals for the species a , b , and c , respectively . often , it happened that within experimental error y a = y b , thereby simplifying the analysis since : y = y a ′ + ( y c - y a ) [ 1 + 1 k 1 - k 2 ( k 2 - k 1 t - k 1 - k 2 t ) ] equation 4 when y b = y c , the experimental curve degenerates into a simple first - order rise or decay , depending on whether y a & gt ; y b or y b & gt ; y a . more often than expected , the preliminary analysis of the data by equation 3 or equation 4 indicated that k 1 , and k 2 were very similar to each other . since equation 3 is not valid for the case where k 1 = k 2 , we integrated the system of rate equations : a t = - k · a equation 5 b t = k · a - k · b equation 6 c t = k · b equation 7 y = y a . e − k . t + y b . k . t . e − k . t + y c . [ 1 −( k . t + 1 ) e − k . t ] equation 11 this equation was used in conjunction with a nonlinear least squares to analyze the results of experiments with k 1 ≈ k 2 . a library of compounds was tested in a high throughput screening mode in 96 - well microtiter plate format with single compounds per well at the temperatures described above . the optimal dye and optimal ratio of dye to protein for tk and uk was assessed . each microtiter plate contained 88 individual compounds and eight control wells that intially contained only buffer plus dye ( no compound ). these assay plates were manually sealed with a plastic 96 - well microplate seal ( tomtec , inc ., hamden , conn .). these seals were scored for easy entrance of pipet tips , followed by reclosure after pipet tip exit . the remaining steps were carried out robotically as follows . assay plates were deposited into the temperature / humidity - controlled incubator for an initial incubation period , typically 60 - 90 minutes , which equilibrated the assay plate to the desired assay temperature . a fluorescence measurement , t i , was then taken by the bmg polarstar to establish the lower bound of the assay . this fluorescent reading for those wells containing compounds plus buffer plus dye was used to ascertain the effect of the compounds themselves . following an additional incubation period in a set of incubators which ensured that well contents were equilibrated to the assay temperature , assay plates were moved to the rapidplate liquid dispensing unit . protein was added from a plate reservoir to assay plates located on a modified heated plate position . for the final incubation , assay plates were transported back to the temperature / humidity - controlled incubator for a defined time at the assay temperature , typically 30 minutes . a second fluorescence measurement , t f , was taken by the bmg polarstar . the control wells ( assay buffer plus dye plus protein ) defined the upper bound of the assay . a comparison of the fluorescent measurement for the wells containing compound ( plus assay buffer plus dye plus protein ) compared to the control well reads at t i and t f defined which compounds bound to and stabilized the protein of interest . the temperature at which a given protein undergoes denaturation at an easily measurable rate was determined prior to the ligand binding studies . the rates were most appropriate for measuring methods at temperatures slightly below or at the thermal transition temperature ( t m ) as measured by differential scanning calorimetry . to determine which fluorescent dye produces the largest signal for a given protein , a preliminary isothermal denaturation experiment at t m was performed with each dye at a concentration of 1 μm and the protein at 0 . 5 μm . the spectral properties of all dyes tested are given in table 1 . due to their long excitation and emission wavelengths , nano orange , sypro orange , and sypro red are attractive for use in hts format . the thermal scan for thymidylate kinase ( tk ), shown in fig1 reveals a t m located at 53 ° c ., the temperature which was then chosen for all subsequent isothermal experiments . upon cooling and reheating of the protein , no observable peak was found ( results not shown ), which indicated that this protein had denatured irreversibly . fluorescence . fig2 shows the results of preliminary experiments where the time - dependent fluorescence changes for each dye were measured in the presence of thymidylate kinase denaturing isothermally at 53 ° c . the fluorescence of all the dyes increased in a biphasic manner in the course of the denaturation , with dbs producing the largest net increase over background . the fluorescence of nano orange , sypro orange , and sypro red ( used in general as protein quantitation and gel stain dyes ) also increased significantly , while the fluorescence increase of 1 , 8 - ans , at a four - fold molar excess to protein , was relatively small . finally , it was also ascertained that the increase in fluorescence of the amount of nano orange or sypro orange used in the experiments upon addition of the native protein was linear over a wide range of protein concentrations ( fig3 ). these results demonstrate that the dyes do not saturate the protein under the conditions of the experiment . in other words , the dyes themselves do not compete with the ligands and they do not stabilize the protein to any measurable extent . because of its spectral properties ( see table 1 ), sypro orange was chosen for use in further denaturation experiments . fig4 shows representative time courses of sypro orange fluorescence occurring during the isothermal denaturation of tk in the presence of increasing amounts of tmp , which is a specific ligand for the enzyme . when the protein was first denatured and the dye added at the end of the process , the fluorescence increase was instantaneous ( data not shown ). thus , the time - dependency of the fluorescence changes represents protein unfolding and not a slow binding of the dye to the denatured protein . the time - dependencies were biphasic , indicating the presence of at least two rate - determining unfolding processes . the results were analyzed using a nonlinear least squares method with a variety of kinetic models . of all the models tested , the model of two consecutive first - order reactions with identical rate constants , equation 11 , was the most consistent with the data . the agreement of the experimental points with the theoretical curves calculated with the best - fit parameters and equation 11 is shown in fig4 . the slope of the early , linear portion of the time course is also proportional to the first rate constant and , thus , either can be used to analyze the influence of tmp concentration on the denaturation rates . fig5 shows the dependency of these two parameters on ligand concentration . the curves were analyzed using a nonlinear least squares method and equations corresponding to a variety of models relating denaturation rates to occupancy of the ligand binding site . the best consistency was found with the model where a fully cooperative binding of two tmp molecules per protein results in a six - fold stabilization of the enzyme ( fig5 ). this result is not fully surprising since thymidylate kinase is a dimeric protein as evidenced by size exclusion chromatography ( e . coli protein is known to exist as a dimer in “ structure of thymidylate kinase reveals the cause behind the limiting step in azt activation ” by a . lavie et . al . in nature structural biology , 4 , 601 - 604 ( 1997 )). from the slopes , k d was calculated to be 9 . 1 ± 1 . 6 mm and from the rate constants k d was calculated to be 7 . 6 ± 0 . 8 mm . these cooperative k d values , measured at 53 ° c ., are not directly comparable to the noncooperative kinetic parameter k m = 27 μm determined at 25 ° c . by an activity assay using saturating atp concentrations . it seems likely that the cooperativity arises from the fact that the kinetic mechanism of tk consists of an ordered addition , whereby tmp can only bind to the enzyme which has an occupied atp site and that tmp can bind weakly to the atp site . absorbance and circular dichroism . in order to ascertain that the fluorescence changes of the dyes actually are proportional to the two forms of denatured protein and do , in fact , measure the denaturation process , two other techniques , cd and uv absorbance , were employed to study the unfolding kinetics of the same protein . circular dichroism scans of the native protein and of its denatured form show that a significant change in the cd spectrum accompanies the unfolding ( fig6 ). for example , there was a 45 % loss in intensity of the α - helical signal at 222 nm . consequently , the time - dependency of the changes in molar ellipticity was monitored continuously at 222 nm . as illustrated in fig7 the ellipticity at 222 nm increased rapidly and reached a maximum after about 10 minutes . addition of 25 mm tmp , a natural ligand , greatly decreased both the rate and magnitude of the increase in ellipticity . the data were fully consistent with a simple first - order reaction , thereby indicating that the major changes in ellipticity are produced by the first of the two consecutive unfolding steps . finally , the time - dependent changes in hyperchromicity at 280 nm which result from the increase in solvent exposure of aromatic amino acids were measured . the data in fig8 show that the hyperchromic changes associated with the unfolding of tk were rapid and biphasic . the absorbance data were best fit by a model of two consecutive first - order reactions . the results were most consistent with a model of two consecutive first - order reactions , but with unequal rate constants , as described by equation 3 . the rate constants obtained by the three techniques are compared in table 2 . due to spectral interference , the effects of the presence of tmp on the changes in hyperchromicity were not tested . it appears that the physical properties measured by all these methods do undergo a significant change during the first rate - limiting step . there was good agreement between the rate constants of the first step , k 1 , indicating that all three methods are measuring the same process . on the other hand , the second step observed by sypro orange does not produce any changes in hyperchromicity and the second , very slow step observed by hyperchromicity does not have any changes in sypro orange fluorescence associated with it . both the cd spectrum ( sarver et . al ., bba , 1434 , 304 - 316 ( 1999 )) and the tryptophan fluorescence ( epps et al ., j . prot . chem ., 17 , 699 - 712 ( 1998 )) of stromelysin are affected by the binding of ligands to the active site . dsc revealed that this protein has an extremely high t m at 75 ° c . as shown in fig9 . also , dsc experiments showed an increase of as much as 15 ° c . in the t m . for ligand - bound ( sarver et . al ., bba , 1434 , 304 - 316 ( 1999 )). thus , the structure of stromelysin appears to lend itself to isothermal denaturation studies in that ligand binding dramatically affects the unfolding process . even the tryptophan fluorescence should be a useful tool for monitoring the denaturation processes . fluorescence . the time - dependency of the denaturation of stromelysin was biphasic at 75 ° c . as monitored using sypro orange and ( shown in fig1 a ). the denaturation was rapid and was inhibited in a dose - dependent manner by pnu - 143988 , a known thiadiazole - type competitive inhibitor . the denaturation reaction in the absence of ligands was most consistent with a model of two consecutive first - order reactions with two unequal rate constants ( equation 3 ) followed by a linear downward drift . the linear drift most likely derives from aggregation and / or precipitation of the denatured protein . it was absent in the denaturation which occurred in the presence of inhibitors . analysis of the data showed that the best kinetic model is the one with two consecutive first - order rate model with identical rate constants ( equation 11 ). the rate constants calculated from these analyses are given in table 3 . the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of stromelysin is particularly sensitive to ligand - induced conformational changes , and , presumably , to denaturation of the active - site region . as shown in fig1 b , there was a rapid , biphasic loss of the tryptophan fluorescence intensity over the time course of the isothermal denaturation at 75 ° c . the time - dependency of the decay of the tryptophan fluorescence was most consistent with a model of two consecutive first - order reactions with identical rate constants ( equation 11 ). this model yielded rate constants that were in excellent agreement with those measured by the fluorescence increase of sypro orange under the same conditions ( table 3 ). two parameters derived from the fluorescence kinetic curves measure the rate of denaturation , namely , the slope at the inflection point , and the first - order rate constant . the values of both parameters decreased in the presence of inhibitors in a saturable , dose - dependent manner , as shown in fig1 for the case of fluorescence measurements . the concentration dependencies were consistent with a model where binding of the inhibitor results in a drastic decrease in the rate of denaturation . the data were analyzed in terms of a simple langmuir binding isotherm model , yielding k d = 0 . 28 ± 0 . 02 μm from the initial rates and k d = 0 . 35 ± 0 . 13 μm from the rate constants . these values , measured at 75 ° c ., are quite comparable to the value of k d = 0 . 40 μm measured by a rate assay at 25 ° c . absorbance . isothermal denaturation of stromelysin in the presence and absence of pnu - 143988 revealed a dose - dependent inhibition of both the rate and magnitude of the hyperchromicity changes ( data not shown ). the hyperchromicity reached a maximum in three minutes and declined slightly at longer periods of treatment while pnu - 143988 extended in a dose - dependent manner the time needed for full reaction . the simplest model consistent with the experimental data of the uninhibited reaction was a simple first - order reaction and the best - fit rate constant was comparable to that of the first step of the two - step denaturation process measured by the other techniques ( table 3 ). validation of robotic hts assay . prior to validation experiments , the optimal dye and optimal ratio of dye to protein was determined in 96 - well microtiter plate format for both tk and uk isothermal denaturation under the assay conditions described above . isothermal denaturation of tk was best detected with nano orange at final assay concentrations of 0 . 4 μm protein and 1 . 1 μm dye . in the same manner , nano orange was utilized to obtain a sufficient window to allow detection of the isothermal denaturation of uk with final assay concentrations of 0 . 4 μm protein and 0 . 8 μm dye . in order to demonstrate the validity of isothermal denaturation as a hts robotic assay , denaturation of tk and uk was performed in the presence of a known ligand in microplate format with the assay operating robotically as described . the ligands used were tmp , in the case of tk , and uridine monophosphate ( ump ), in the case of uk . the proteins were subjected to the assay &# 39 ; s denaturing conditions either in the absence of ( control ) or presence of increasing ligand concentration . using t i and t f fluorescence measurements , percent inhibition was calculated , as one skilled in the art would do . for thymidylate kinase , increasing concentrations of tmp decreased the denaturation of the protein , as expected based on results seen in cuvette experiments . a curve of tmp concentration versus calculated percent inhibition of control was fit with a langmuir binding isotherm model , yielding an apparent k d value similar to what has been seen previously when taking error into account . similarly for uridylate kinase , the effect of ump on the denaturation was concentration - dependent , as concentration of ump increased , denaturation decreased . data was analyzed in terms of a langmuir model . resulting calculations gave an apparent k d value of 5 . 76 ± 0 . 95 mm which was comparable to the apparent k d value of 1 mm obtained from an activity assay carried out at 25 ° c . validation of the hts system was furthered by the isothermal denaturation of tk and uk in the presence of a subset of compounds with an increased potential of containing protein ligands since these compounds had inhibitory activity in activity assays . this validation test was performed as described with 10 μm final compound concentration . using the t i and t f measurements , percent inhibition was calculated . true actives were determined by using three standard deviations from the mean of the assay plate controls as the active cutoff value . results are shown in table 4 . control experiments were also conducted . compounds with intrinsic spectral properties including fluorescence and quench were observed in these experiments . s . aureus fema ( ehlert et al ., j . bacteriol ., 179 , 7573 - 7576 ( 1997 ) and tschierske et al ., fems microbiol . lett ., 153 , 261 - 264 ( 1997 )) is a protein presumably involved in cell wall biosynthesis and thus provides an attractive target as a potential antibacterial . the protein is expressed with a 6 - his tag so that it can be purified with qiagen ni 2 + - nta columns as for thymidylate kinase described above . a ph sufficiently removed from the isoelectric point ( pi value ) is chosen for the buffer in which the protein is solubilized ; in addition appropriate ionic strength and cations are used so that maximal structure can be obtained as monitored , e . g ., in cd ellipticity studies . since this protein has no known biochemical function , isothermal denaturation provides an ideal way to discover compounds that bind to this protein . it is believed that this protein exhibits multi - phasic kinetics similar to those observed with thymidylate kinase and stromelysin . the t m value is determined by differential scanning calorimetry studies . the detailed kinetic pathway of denaturation must first be determined by fluorescence , absorbance , and / or another physical method as described above . the optimal dye and optimal ratio of dye to protein is rapidly assessed in a 96 - well microtiter plate format . the fluorophore used is sypro red . a library of compounds (& gt ; 100 , 000 ) are tested in a high throughput screening mode in 96 - well microtiter plate format with single compounds per well at or , at most , 5 ° c . below the t m . value . each microtiter plate contains 88 individual compounds . furthermore , eight control wells exist in the plate that intially contain only buffer plus dye ( no compound ). prior to addition of protein , the microtiter plate containing compounds plus control wells are read ( t i read ) which establishes the lower bound of the assay . this fluorescent reading for those wells containing compounds plus buffer plus dye is used to ascertain the effect of compounds themselves . after a time at the assay temperature , e . g ., 30 or 60 minutes , another fluorescent measurement is performed ( t f read ). the control wells ( assay buffer plus dye plus protein ) define the upper bound of the assay . a comparison of the fluorescent values for those wells with compound ( plus assay buffer plus dye plus protein ) compared to the fluorescent values of the control wells at t i and t f defines which compounds bind to and stabilize the protein of interest , which in this example is s . aureus fema . only those compounds that demonstrate stabilization in a subsequent repeat experiment are pursued as potential ligand binders . in addition to compounds that truly bind to fema , a compound could give enhanced fluorescence because it : 1 ) is a hydrophobic compound that could bind dye ; 2 ) may have intrinsic fluorescence at the wavelengths used ; 3 ) could form micelles ; or 4 ) could be a denaturant , destabilizer , etc . similarly , a compound could have binding activity but exhibit lower than expected results because the compound adsorbs light ( quenches ) at the wavelengths tested . to eliminate compounds that affect dye directly , compound plus dye plus buffer at the assay temperature are read before the addition of protein . any compounds that have intrinsic fluorescence , quench , fluorescence enhancement or fluorophore sequestration can thus be identified . to assess those compounds which enhance protein denaturation , an additional study is performed after the screen has been performed . the effect of compound on dye binding to the target molecule is performed at ambient temperature . any compound which is a denaturant demonstrates enhanced binding of the fluorescent dye to the protein even when no thermal denaturation of the protein occurs . compounds of this type would only be of interest if they exhibited this property for a specific protein ( target ) and did not affect two or more proteins ( targets ) in this manner . after all these criteria are met , those compounds that are putatively true binders can then be further characterized . the first study would be to ascertain whether the compounds exhibit a reasonable dose - response . additionally the effect of these compounds on the kinetics of protein denaturation can be studied and consequently k d values can be determined . to determine k d values at a given temperature , ligand dose - response curves for the full time - course kinetics are run . this process must be performed at three or more temperatures . then , assuming arrhenius behavior , the k d of the compound can be obtained for any temperature . in addition to screening of an entire library of individual compounds , compound mixtures can be tested . a subset of the entire library that contains mixtures of eight compounds per microtiter plate well are used . the assay is carried out as described above . the compounds for those mixtures that demonstrate the appropriate results are then identified and tested individually . in this case positive results could occur in mixtures but not for individual compounds because the results could be additive , or more likely , synergistic . consequently , if assays with individual compounds are not active , permutations of mixtures can be tested to determine which combination gives the original screening result . in addition to screening an entire compound collection , subsets of a library or “ sublibraries ,” based upon rationale criteria can be tested . the advantage of using a sublibrary ( ies ) is to accelerate the discovery of a useful compound from high throughput screening . in this example another protein target is utilized , s . aureus unknown gene product . this protein is an essential gene product for this organism . a genetically engineered strain of s . aureus that has this function eliminated prevents bacerial growth . however , its biological / biochemical function is unkown ; and although searching of genomic database identifies similar genes in other micro - organisms , they also have no known biological or biochemical function . because the dna sequence for this gene is known , constructs can be engineered placing a 6 - his tag at either the amino - or caboxyl - terminal end of the protein and purified as described for the other 6 - his tagged proteins described . maximal structure under given experimental conditions as monitored , for example , by cd can be obtained , similar to the fema protein described above . one specific sublibrary tested , the dissimilarity sublibrary , is generated by a dissimilarity search in which compounds are sorted on their structural / chemical properties . the most dissimilar compounds are selected but , similutaneously , they represent the diversity of the entire library . compounds identified that stabilize this protein target in isothermal denaturation studies are tested further in their own right . in addition , compounds in the library with similarity to these ligand - binders can be selected from the entire library by using computer search programs . these are also tested . in this way the active compounds could potentially be identified by screening only a limited subset of the entire compound collection . oligodeoxyribonucleotides that contain the sequence of interest can be synthesized or purchased commercially and assembled into duplex dna in the proper order . the assembled dna can then be inserted into an expression system ( e . g . megascript from ambion ) to generate an rna of interest . alternatively , if the rna of interest is sufficiently small , the oligos can be constructed to contain an appropriate promoter such that in vitro transcription can be done without any cloning and expression steps . isolation of rna can be obtained by protocols known to anyone skilled in molecular biologic arts . as for proteinaceous targets , a t m can be determined experimentally with dsc . examples of extrinsic fluorescent dyes that can be used to monitor the transition from an ordered to a disordered rna structure include sybr green , sybr greenii , pico - green , and topro , yoyo , etc . examples of rna molecules that can be used to demonstrate this approach include : 1 ) hiv - 1 tar 47 - 86 ( mei et al ., biochemistry , 37 , 14204 - 14212 ( 1998 )); 2 ) rna aptamer j6fl ( cho et al ., biochemistry 37 , 4985 - 4992 ( 1998 )); and 3 ) a - site of 16s rrna ( wong et al ., chemistry and biology , 5 , 397 - 406 ( 1998 )). ligands known to bind to these respective rna molecules are : 1 ) neomycin , other aminoglycoside antibiotics , and other compounds ( mei et al ., biochemistry , 37 , 14204 - 14212 ( 1998 )); 2 ) tobramycin (( cho et al ., biochemistry , 37 , 4985 - 4992 ( 1998 )); and 3 ) kanamycin and other aminoglycides ( wong et al ., chemistry and biology , 5 , 397 - 406 ( 1998 )). just as known ligands for proteinaceous targets stabilize their structures under isothermal conditions , these known ligands stabilize their cognate rna molecules under similar conditions . similarly , as for protein targets , a large collection of compounds can be tested in high throughput screening to determine whether any might bind to , and stabilize , these nucleic acid structures under isothermal denaturation conditions . these compounds can be tested singly or as combinations of several compounds . in addition to monitoring isothermal denaturation with these fluorescent dyes , one skilled in the art could also monitor these changes using uv hyperchromicity or capillary electrophoresis . it will be clear that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as particularly described in the foregoing description and examples . numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and , therefore , are within the scope of the invention . the entire disclosure of all publications , patents , and patent applications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference . | 8 |
referring to the drawing , the electrodeposition bath 10 contains an aqueous electrodepositable composition comprising a synthetic resin ionically dispersed in an aqueous medium from which films are deposited using suitable apparatus ( not shown ). a complexing agent and preferably a chelating agent capable of complexing with iron or other metals in the bath is added in line 12 . this chelating agent may be , for example , 1 , 10 - phenanthroline , 4 , 7 - diphenyl - 1 , 10 - phenanthroline , alpha , alpha &# 39 ;- dipyridyl , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ;- terpyridyl , 2 - pyridinealdoxime , ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid , diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid , methyl acetoacetate and acetylacetone . the stability constant of the chelating agent - metal ion complex should be greater than the stability constant of the resin - metal ion complex in the bath . the chelating agent is added in an amount of about 0 . 5 mole equivalent of chelating agent to 1 mole of soluble iron in the bath to about 7 mole equivalents of chelating agent to 1 mole of soluble iron in the bath . soluble iron would be determined by first centrifuging a sample of the bath to remove pigments , after which insoluble material would be separated and the amount of iron in the aqueous phase would be measured . for the purposes of this disclosure , a complexing agent will be considered to be any organic or inorganic molecule or ion that is bonded to a metal ion by a coordinate covalent bond , i . e ., a bond based on a shared pair of electrons both of which come from the complexing agent . a chelating agent will be considered to be any complexing agent that coordinates a metal ion in more than one position , i . e ., through two or more electron donor groups in the complexing agent . the complexation phenomenon is discussed , for example , in analytical chemistry by j . g . dick , mcgraw - hill , new york ( 1973 ), pages 161 - 169 , which are hereby incorporated by reference . a quantity known as the stability or formation constant , k i , is a measurement of the tendency of a particular chelating agent to complex with a metal ion in a homogeneous solution . the stability constant is described in the above incorporated section in analytical chemistry by j . g . dick . while not intending to be bound by any theory of this invention , it is believed that preferred chelating agents for use in the method of the present invention would be those which have a higher stability constant than the resin which is included in the bath . before the chelating agent is added , the soluble iron in the bath may also be reduced from a ferric state to a ferrous state by adding a reducing agent to the bath . a suitable reducing agent would be , for example , hydroquinone , erythorbic acid , sodium metabisulfite , sodium sulfite , sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate , ascorbic acid , hydrogen sulfide , sulfurous acid , zinc , cadmium , aluminium and silver . the reducing agent would be used in an amount of 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 equivalents of reducing agent per equivalent of soluble iron or other metal in the bath . a portion of the bath may be continuously or intermittently withdrawn in line 14 to an ultrafilter 16 . here in the ultrafilter process chelating agent along with complexed iron or other metal is separated from the resin , pigment and other higher molecular weight components which are present in the bath composition . the concentrate or retentate may be returned to the bath through line 18 . in addition to the complexing agent and complexed iron , the ultrafiltrate also includes water , excess counter ions and other low molecular weight species . this ultrafiltrate is removed from the ultrafilter in line 20 to an ion exchange column 22 containing cation exchange resin to remove iron and other metals from the ultrafiltrate . the resultant filtrate from the ion exchange column is returned to the bath through line 24 . the ion exchange column can be regenerated , for example , by passing a 20 percent by weight solution of aqueous sulfuric acid through the column . waste is removed from the ion exchange column in line 30 . ultrafiltration encompasses all membrane - moderated , pressure - activated separations wherein solvent or solvent and smaller molecules are separated from modest molecular weight macromolecules and colloids . the term &# 34 ; ultrafiltration &# 34 ; is generally broadly limited to describing separations involving solutes of molecular dimensions greater than about ten solvent molecular diameters and below the limit of resolution of the optical microscope that is , about 0 . 5 micron . in the present process , water is considered to be the solvent . the principles of ultrafiltration and filters are discussed in a chapter entitled &# 34 ; ultrafiltration &# 34 ; in the spring , 1968 , volume of advances in separations and purifications , e . s . perry , editor , john wiley & amp ; sons , new york , as well as in chemical engineering progress , vol . 64 , december , 1968 , pages 31 through 43 , which are hereby incorporated by reference . the basic ultrafiltration process is relatively simple . solution to be ultrafiltered is confined under pressure , utilizing , for example , either a compressed gas or liquid pump in a cell , in contact with an appropriate filtration membrane supported on a porous support . any membrane or filter having chemical integrity to the system being separated and having the desired separation characteristic may be employed . preferably , the contents of the cell should be subjected to at least moderate agitation to avoid accumulation of the retained solute on the membrane surface with the attendant binding of the membrane . ultrafiltrate is continually produced and collected until the retained solute concentration in the cell solution reaches the desired level , or the desired amount of solvent plus dissolved low molecular weight solute is removed . a suitable apparatus for conducting ultrafiltration is described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 495 , 465 which is hereby incorporated by reference . further information concerning the ultrafiltration process is disclosed , for example , in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 663 , 398 and 3 , 663 , 403 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . the electrodeposition bath used in the method of the present invention may contain any of several electrodepositable compositions well known in the art . electrodepositable compositions , while referred to as &# 34 ; solubilized &# 34 ;, in fact are considered a complex solution , dispersion or suspension or combination of one or more of these classes in water which acts as an electrolyte under the influence of an electric current . while , no doubt , in some circumstances the vehicle resin is in solution , it is clear that in most instances the vehicle resin is a dispersion which may be called a molecular dispersion of molecular size between a colloidal suspension and a true solution . the typical industrial electrodepositable composition also contains pigments , crosslinking resins and other adjuvants which are frequently combined with the vehicle resin in a chemical and a physical relationship . for example , the pigments are usually ground in a resin medium and are thus &# 34 ; wetted &# 34 ; with the vehicle resin . as can be readily appreciated then , an electrodepositable composition is complex in terms of the freedom or availability with respect to removal of a component or in terms of the apparent molecular size of a given vehicle component . examples of film - forming resins which can be used as the electrodepositable composition include the reaction products of epoxide group - containing resins and primary and secondary amines such as those described in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 663 , 389 ; 3 , 984 , 299 ; 3 , 947 , 338 and 3 , 947 , 339 . usually , the epoxide group - containing resin has a 1 , 2 - epoxy equivalency greater than 1 and preferably is a polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric phenol such as 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( hydroxyphenyl ) propane . other examples include polyglycidyl ethers of phenol - formaldehyde condensates of the novolak type and copolymers of glycidyl acrylate or methacrylate . usually these resins are used in combination with blocked polyisocyanate curing agents . the polyisocyanate can be fully blocked as described in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 3 , 984 , 299 , or the isocyanate can be partially blocked and reacted with the resin backbone such as described in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 3 , 947 , 338 . besides blocked polyisocyanate curing agents , transesterification curing agents such as described in european application no . 12 , 463 can be used . also , cationic electrodeposition compositions prepared from mannich bases such as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 134 , 932 can be used . one - component compositions as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 134 , 866 and de - os no . 2 , 707 , 405 can also be used as the film - forming resin . besides the epoxy - amine reaction products , film - forming resins can be selected from amino group - containing acrylic copolymers such as those described in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 455 , 806 and 3 , 928 , 156 . in general , any polymerizable monomeric compound containing at least one ch 2 ═ c & lt ; group , preferably in the terminal position , may be polymerized with the unsaturated glycidyl compounds . examples of such monomers include monoolefinic and diolefinic hydrocarbons such as styrene , halogenated monoolefinic and diolefinic hydrocarbons such as alpha - chlorostyrene , vinyl chloride , esters of unsaturated organic acids such as butyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate and vinyl esters such as vinyl acetate and unsaturated organic nitriles such as acrylonitrile . in carrying out the polymerization reaction a peroxygen type catalyst such as benzoyl peroxide can be used or an azo compound such as vazo 67 , which is 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dimethylazobis ( isobutyronitrile ) and is available from e . i . dupont de nemours & amp ; co ., inc . the preferred resins are those which contain primary and / or secondary amino groups . such resins are described in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 663 , 389 ; 3 , 947 , 339 and 4 , 116 , 900 . in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 947 , 339 , a polyketimine derivative of a polyamine such as diethylenetriamine or triethylenetetraamine is reacted with an epoxide group - containing resin . when the reaction product is neutralized with acid and dispersed in water , free primary amine groups are generated . also , equivalent products are formed when polyepoxide is reacted with excess polyamines such as diethylenetriamine and triethylenetetraamine and the excess polyamine vacuum stripped from the reaction mixture . such products are described in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 663 , 389 and 4 , 116 , 900 . the aqueous cationic compositions of the present invention are in the form of an aqueous dispersion . the term &# 34 ; dispersion &# 34 ; is considered to be a two - phase transparent , translucent or opaque resinous system in which the resin is in the dispersed phase and the water is in the continuous phase . the average particle size of the resinous phase is generally less than 10 and usually less than 5 microns , preferably less than 0 . 5 micron . the concentration of the resinous phase in the aqueous medium is usually at least 1 and usually from about 2 to 60 percent by weight based on weight of the aqueous dispersion . when the compositions of the present invention are in the form of resin concentrates , they generally have a resin solids content of about 20 to 60 percent by weight based on weight of the aqueous dispersion . when the compositions of the present invention are in the form of electrodeposition baths , the resin solids content of the electrodeposition bath is usually within the range of about 5 to 25 percent by weight based on total weight of the aqueous dispersion . besides water , the aqueous medium may contain a coalescing solvent . useful coalescing solvents include hydrocarbons , alcohols , esters , ethers and ketones . the preferred coalescing solvents include alcohols , polyols and ketones . specific coalescing solvents include isopropanol , butanol , 2 - ethylhexanol , isophorone , 4 - methoxy - pentanone , ethylene and propylene glycol and the monoethyl , monobutyl and monohexyl ethers of ethylene glycol . the amount of coalescing solvent is generally between about 0 . 01 and 25 percent and when used , preferably from about 0 . 05 to about 5 percent by weight based on weight of the aqueous medium . in some instances , a pigment composition and if desired various additives such as surfactants , wetting agents , catalysts , film build additives and additives to enhance flow and appearance of the coating such as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 423 , 166 are included in the dispersion . pigment composition may be of the conventional types comprising , for example , iron oxides , lead oxides , strontium chromate , carbon black , coal dust , titanium dioxide , talc , barium sulfate , as well as color pigments such as cadmium yellow , cadmium red , chromium yellow and the like . the pigment content of the dispersion is usually expressed as a pigment - to - resin ratio . in the practice of the present invention , the pigment - to - resin ratio is usually within the range of 0 . 02 to 1 : 1 . the other additives mentioned above are usually in the dispersion in amounts of about 0 . 01 to 20 percent by weight based on weight of resin solids . when the aqueous dispersions as described above are employed for use in electrodeposition , the aqueous dispersion is placed in contact with an electrically conductive anode and an electrically conductive cathode with the surface to be coated being the cathode . following contact with the aqueous dispersion , an adherent film of the coating composition is deposited on the cathode when a sufficient voltage is impressed between the electrodes . the conditions under which electrodeposition is carried out are , in general , similar to those used in electrodeposition of other types of coatings . the applied voltage may be varied and can be , for example , as low as 1 volt or as high as several thousand volts , but typically between 50 and 500 volts . the current density is usually between 0 . 5 ampere and 5 amperes per square foot and tends to decrease during electrodeposition indicating the formation of an insulating film . the coating compositions of the present invention can be applied to a variety of electroconductive substrates especially metals such as steel , aluminum , copper , magnesium and conductive carbon coated materials . after the coating has been applied by electrodeposition , it is cured usually by baking at elevated temperatures such as 90 °- 260 ° c . for about 1 to 40 minutes . the method of the present invention is further described in the following examples . an imine of diethylenetriamine and salicylaldehyde was prepared in the following manner . 122 grams ( g ) salicylaldehyde ( 1 . 0 mole ) were added to 51 . 5 g diethylenetriamine ( 0 . 5 mole ) and 400 g methanol . the solution was held at reflux until no carbonyl stretch was evident by ir analysis . the methanol was then stripped off and 152 g crude product were recovered . the amine equivalent weight of the product was determined to be 117 ( theory 104 ). a tank sample of powercron 730 1 which had been contaminated with iron was centrifuged to remove the pigments . after decanting off the insoluble material , the amount of iron in the aqueous phase was determined by atomic absorption to be 75 parts per million ( ppm ). 3800 g of the acrylic paint ( 5 . 1 meq fe ) was placed in a gallon container . 7 . 5 g active - 8 2 and 0 . 6 g hydroquinone ( 6 . 0 meq ) were then added to the paint . after stirring for 65 hours , the paint was ultrafiltered at a rate of 25 - 30 milliliters ( ml )/ minute through a thin channel membrane ( abcor hfm 63 ). the reddish - orange permeate was then passed through an ion exchange column which had previously been prepared as follows : 250 g amberlite irc - 718 3 were poured into a 500 ml column filled with deionized water . a 10 weight percent solution of sulfuric acid was added to the ion exchange resin until the ph of the solution coming out of the column was & lt ; 2 . this was followed by adding enough deionized water to raise the ph of the exiting solution to 6 - 7 . after passing through the ion exchange column the permeate was colorless . the treated permeate was then pumped back into the paint bath . after 3800 g permeate ( 100 percent ultrafiltration ) had passed through the ion exchange column , a paint sample showed that the iron level had been reduced to 40 ppm . the procedure as described in example 1 was followed except that no active - 8 or hydroquinone were added to the paint . after 100 percent ultrafiltration , analysis showed that no iron had been removed from the paint . the procedure as described in example 1 was followed except that 2 . 4 g bipyridine were added in place of active - 8 . after 100 percent ultrafiltration , analysis showed that 39 percent of the iron had been removed from the paint . the procedure as described in example 1 was followed except that 1 . 9 g 2 - pyridinealdoxime were added to the paint instead of active - 8 . after 100 percent ultrafiltration , analysis showed 11 percent of the iron had been removed from the paint . the procedure as described in example 1 was followed except that 5 . 9 g diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid was used instead of active - 8 . after 100 percent ultrafiltration , analysis showed 5 percent of the iron had been removed from the paint . the procedure as described in example 1 was followed except that to 1000 g of powercron 730 acrylic paint at 67 ppm iron , 21 . 8 g of 3 percent by weight aqueous solution of 1 , 10 - phenanthroline was added to the paint . 125 g of amberlite irc - 84 4 in the acid form was used to remove the complexed iron from the permeate . analysis showed 28 percent of the iron was removed from the paint . a test similar to example 6 was conducted except both hydroquinone ( 0 . 12 g ) and 1 , 10 - phenanthroline ( 21 . 8 g of 3 percent by weight aqueous solution ) were used . analysis showed 37 percent iron removal . the procedure as described in example 1 was followed except that 4 . 7 g of the imine of diethylenetriamine and salicylaldehyde prepared in example a was added instead of the active - 8 . after 100 percent ultrafiltration , analysis showed 3 percent of the iron had been removed from the paint . a 1200 g tank sample of powercron 500 5 which had been contaminated with iron at 65 ppm was treated with 2 . 1 meq hydroquinone and 6 . 3 meq of 1 , 10 - phenanthroline as active - 8 . the paint was ultrafiltered and the permeate was passed through an amberlite irc - 84 ion exchange resin in the hydrogen form . after 100 percent ultrafiltration and recycle of the ion exchanged permeate , the iron concentration in the bath was reduced by 33 percent . a tank sample which had 65 ppm soluble iron was treated first with hydroquinone at a 1 : 1 molar ratio to convert iron + 3 to iron + 2 . a solution of 3 percent by weight aqueous solution of 1 , 10 - phenanthroline was added in a molar ratio of 3 : 1 and the bath stirred for two days then ultrafiltered 50 percent with water added back then ultrafiltered another 50 percent . a portion of the permeate was passed through an ion exchange column with amberlite irc - 84 . the ion exchange resin removed the iron phenanthroline complex as is indicated by the & lt ; 1 ppm soluble iron in the permeate after ion exchange ( as determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy ). the permeate and the permeate which had been passed through the ion exchange resin were submitted for x - ray fluorescence analysis in order to determine what metal ions had been removed by the ion exchange column . the results of this analysis follow : ______________________________________element permeate ion exchanged permeate______________________________________sodium present none detectedaluminum present presentsilicon present presentpotassium present none detectedcalcium present none detectediron present none detectedbarium present none detectedlead present none detectedzinc present none detectedcopper present none detectednickel present none detected______________________________________ | 2 |
[ 0024 ] fig1 schematically illustrates a motor vehicle with a drive train containing an engine 1 , a clutch 2 , and a transmission 3 . also shown are a differential 4 and driving shafts 5 driving the driven wheels 6 . rpm - sensors ( not shown in the drawing ) can be arranged at the wheels to detect the wheel rpm - rates . the wheel rpm - sensors serve to determine or calculate the input rpm - rate of the transmission . in case of a sensor error or a failure to deliver rpm - signals , the control unit can switch to an emergency mode of operation . the normal mode of operation is characterized by all signals being available and normal . the rpm - sensors can also be functionally related to other electronic units such as , e . g ., an anti - lock braking system ( abs ). based on at least one wheel rpm - rate , a control unit 7 can determine at least a vehicle speed and / or a transmission rpm - rate . the engine 1 can also be configured as a hybrid drive source , e . g ., with an electric motor , a flywheel with a free - wheeling clutch , and a combustion engine . the clutch 2 can be a friction clutch , but examples of possible clutches also include a magnet - powder clutch , a multi - disc clutch , a torque converter with a converter bypass clutch , or some other type of clutch . as a friction clutch , the clutch 2 can also be a wear - compensating self - adjusting clutch . the device for the automated actuation of the transmission 3 includes a control unit 7 and an actuator 8 that works under the direction of the control unit 7 . the control unit 7 can also provide control signals to a clutch actuator 11 to manage the automated actuation of the clutch 2 . the control unit 7 can be configured as an integrated control unit that performs the control or regulation of , e . g ., the clutch and the transmission . furthermore , an electronic module for the engine can also be integrated in the control unit . however , the control of the clutch and the transmission through the actuators 8 , 11 can also be performed by separate actuator units . the control units of the clutch , the transmission , and / or the engine could also be arranged in separate locations and communicate with each other through data - and / or signal lines . furthermore , the control units have signal connections to sensors delivering signals or data that characterize the current operating state . it is also possible that the control unit is supplied with all of the required information through data lines or a data bus such as , e . g ., a can - bus ( central area network bus ). the control unit 7 is equipped with a computer unit to receive , process , store , retrieve and forward incoming signals and systems information . the control unit also generates control quantities and / or control signals that are sent directly to actuators or forwarded to other electronic units . the clutch 2 is mounted on or connected to a flywheel 2 a . the flywheel can be configured as an integral , single - mass flywheel or as a divided flywheel with a primary mass and a secondary mass . in a divided flywheel , a damper device can be arranged to attenuate rotary oscillations . furthermore , the flywheel can carry a starter ring gear 2 b . the clutch has a clutch disc 2 c with friction linings , a pressure plate 2 d , a clutch cover 2 e , and a diaphragm spring 2 f . if the clutch is self - adjusting , it is additionally equipped with self - adjusting means for wear - compensation . the self - adjusting means includes a force sensor or a sensor for linear or angular displacements to detect a condition where the clutch needs adjusting because of wear , and to automatically perform the adjustment when necessary . the clutch is actuated by a release device 9 , e . g ., with a release bearing 10 . the control unit 7 directs the actuator 11 which , in turn , actuates the clutch . the release device can be actuated through an electric motor , through a combination of an electric motor with hydraulic elements , actuated through a pressure medium , or by some other actuating mechanism . the release device 9 with the release bearing 10 can be configured as a concentric slave cylinder that is coaxial to the transmission input shaft and acts , e . g ., against the tongues of the clutch diaphragm spring to engage and disengage the clutch . however , the release device can also be a mechanical device acting on a release bearing or a comparable element . the actuator 8 has one or more output - or actuating elements to actuate the selecting and engaging movements of the transmission 3 . the way in which the selecting and engaging movements are controlled depends on the type of transmission . of particular interest in the present context is the type of transmission in which the gear - selecting movement is performed by a rotary actuation of a central shifter shaft , and the gear - engaging movement by a linear actuation , or vice versa . for example , an actuator may effect an axial movement of the shifter shaft through a first actuating element , and a rotary movement through a second actuating element . as mentioned , the engaging movement can be performed through a rotation , and the selecting movement through an axial position change of the shifter shaft , or vice versa . also of interest in connection with the present invention are transmissions with two actuating shafts , where one of the shafts serves to select a gear , and the other shaft serves to move the selected gear stage into engagement , with both shafts being configured for rotary actuation . further of interest are transmission with shifting rods that are actuated in their axial direction to move a selected gear stage into engagement . the selecting operation is in this case performed by selecting the rod to be actuated . the shifter shafts or shifting rods themselves represent internal shifter elements of the transmission , or they are arranged to act on internal shifter elements . thus , the actuator 8 acts either directly or indirectly on internal shifter elements to actuate the engagement , disengagement , or change of transmission levels . the control unit 7 is connected through a signal line 12 to the actuator 8 , so that control commands and / or sensor signals or operating - state - related signals can be exchanged , forwarded , or called up . further , signal lines 13 and 14 are available , through which the control unit is in signal communication with other sensors or electronic units at least part of the time . such other electronic units may include , e . g ., an electronic engine control device , an anti - lock brake control device , or an electronic anti - slippage regulation device . other sensors may be provided to characterize or detect the operating state of the vehicle in general , such as rpm - sensors for the engine or the wheels , throttle position sensors , gas pedal position sensors , or other sensors . the signal line 15 represents a connection to a data bus such as a can bus , through which system data of the vehicle or of other electronic units are made available , as the electronic units are normally networked through computer units . an automated gear - shift transmission can be shifted from one transmission ratio to another in a driver - initiated mode , e . g ., by giving a command to shift up or down one level by means of a switch , a touch key , or another gear - selecting device 40 . another possibility is a selector device to set the next gear to be engaged . such a selector device could be configured as an electronic shift lever . under a different transmission control program , an automated mode for actuating the transmission may be selected , so that the gear level to be used is selected on the basis of operating parameters and a gear - shifting process is initiated automatically when necessary . an automated transmission can automatically change gears at certain predetermined points by using characteristic values , functions or data arrays , without the need for driver intervention . the transmission can further be set into a neutral position in which there is no torque - transmitting connection between the input side and the output side of the transmission . it is also possible to select a parking position where the transmission is immobilized in a locked condition for parking . the selection of the parking position can also occur automatically , e . g ., when the ignition key is pulled out of the ignition lock , unless the vehicle is in an incompatible state of motion . for example , the parking lock should not be automatically engaged if the ignition key is pulled out while the vehicle is traveling at high speed . to summarize , the selector element such as a shift lever or selector lever 40 can be set to a shifting range m for manual gear selection by the driver , a position d for automatic gear selection , a parking - lock position p , or a neutral position n . it is further possible to initiate manual gear shifts , e . g ., through switches or through a lever . in the case of an automated clutch with a manually shiftable transmission , the shift lever has to be set manually into the positions that are assigned to the different gears . the vehicle is preferably equipped with an electronic gas pedal 23 or another appropriate control element . the electronic gas pedal 23 acts on a sensor 24 . based on the sensor signal , the electronic engine control unit 20 regulates one or more operating variables of the engine , such as the rate of fuel supply , ignition timing , fuel - injection timing , or throttle position . the electronic gas pedal 23 with the sensor 24 is connected through the signal line 25 to the electronic engine control unit 20 . the latter is connected to the control unit 7 through a signal line 22 . furthermore , an electronic transmission control unit 30 can be connected to exchange signals with the control unit 7 and 20 . in connection with the electronic control units , it is practical to use an electric motor to actuate the throttle under the control of the electronic engine control unit . in systems of this kind , it is no longer necessary nor practical to have a direct mechanical connection to the gas pedal . the vehicle is further equipped with an engine - starter device 50 . when the driver operates an engine - start control element such as an ignition key 51 in the ignition lock , the engine - starter device 50 activates the electronic engine control unit and a starter motor to start the engine . the control unit of the automated clutch or the automated transmission is equipped with a signal processor as well as a memory in which data can be saved and subsequently retrieved . [ 0042 ] fig1 further shows a battery for the electric supply of the control unit 7 and / or the actuators 8 , 11 of the clutch 2 and transmission 3 . thus , the storage battery 100 represents the energy source which powers the actuator and which is monitored , by the control unit 7 according to the inventive method . if at any point the energy level is found to be insufficient to keep the actuator operating , the current actuator position is saved in the memory device of the control unit so that it can later be retrieved . the monitoring can take place inside the control unit , since the control unit itself is likewise connected to the battery . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the essence of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of our present contribution to the art . therefore , any such adaptation is meant to be included within the meaning and range of equivalence of the appended claims . | 5 |
a general procedure for the process of the present invention is shown below : unsubstituted or mono - or di - substituted phenyl , naphthyl , or 5 , 6 or 7 membered heteroaromatic ring containing at least one member selected from the group consisting of : one ring oxygen atom , one ring sulfur atom , 1 - 4 ring nitrogen atoms , or combinations thereof ; in which the heteroaromatic ring can also be fused with one benzo or heteroaromatic ring . when ar is heteroaryl , the heteroaryl ring may be attached within structural formula i or substituted on any carbon atom in the ring which results in the creation of a stable structure . the substituents on the aryl and heteroaryl groups named above are independently selected from : i ) halo ; hydroxy ; cyano ; nitro ; mono -, di - or trihalomethyl ; mono -, di - or trihalomethoxy ; c 2 - 6 alkenyl ; c 3 - 6 cycloalkyl ; formyl ; hydrosulfonyl ; carboxy ; ureido ; ii ) c 1 - 6 alkyl ; hydroxy c 1 - 6 alkyl ; c 1 - 6 alkyloxy ; c 1 - 6 alkyloxy c 1 - 6 alkyl ; c 1 - 6 alkylcarbonyl ; c 1 - 6 alkylsulfonyl ; c 1 - 6 alkylthio ; c 1 - 6 alkylsulfinyl ; c 1 - 6 alkylsulfonamido ; c 1 - 6 alkylarylsulfonamido ; c 1 - 6 alkyloxy - carbonyl ; c 1 - 6 alkyloxycarbonyl c 1 - 6 alkyl ; r b r c n — c ( o )— c 1 - 6 alkyl ; c 1 - 6 alkanoylamino c 1 - 6 alkyl ; aroylamino c 1 - 6 alkyl ; wherein the c 1 - 6 alkyl moiety is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 - 3 of : halo ; c 1 - 4 alkoxy ; or trifluoromethyl ; iii ) aryl ; aryloxy ; arylcarbonyl ; arylthio ; arylsulfonyl ; arylsulfinyl ; arylsulfonamido ; aryloxycarbonyl ; wherein the aryl moiety is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 - 3 of : halo ; c 1 - 4 alkyl ; c 1 - 4 alkoxy ; or trifluoromethyl ; iv ) — c ( o ) nr b r c ; — o — c ( o )— nr b r c ; — n ( r b )— c ( o )— r c ; — nr b r c ; r b — c ( o )— n ( r c )—; where r b and r c r b and r c are independently h , c 1 - 6 alkyl , aryl , or arylc 1 - 6 alkyl ; wherein the alkyl moiety is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 - 3 of : halo ; c 1 - 4 alkoxy ; or trifluoromethyl ; and the aryl moiety can be substituted with 1 - 3 of : halo ; c 1 - 4 alkyl ; c 1 - 4 alkoxy ; or trifluoromethyl ; and — n ( r b )— c ( o ) fig . or g , wherein r g is c 1 - 6 alkyl or aryl , in which the alkyl moiety is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 - 3 of : halo ; c 1 - 4 alkoxy ; or trifluoromethyl , and the aryl moiety is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 - 3 of : halo ; c 1 - 4 alkyl ; c 1 - 4 alkoxy , or trifluoromethyl ; — n ( r b )— c ( o ) nr c r d , wherein r d is selected from h , c 1 - 6 alkyl , and aryl ; in which said c 1 - 6 alkyl and aryl is unsubstituted or substituted as described above for r b and r c ; v ) a heterocyclic group , wherein the heterocyclic ring can be fused with a benzo ring , and wherein said heterocyclic ring is unsubstituted or substituted with one to three substituents , as defined above for i ), ii ), iii ) and iv ), excluding v ) a heterocyclic group . preferably , ar is selected from : unsubstituted or mono - or di - substituted phenyl , naphthyl , pyridyl , furyl , pyrrolyl , thienyl , isothiazolyl , imidazolyl , benzimidazolyl , tetrazolyl , pyrazinyl , pyrimidyl , quinolyl , isoquinolyl , benzofuryl , isobenzofuryl , benzothienyl , pyrazolyl , indolyl , isoindolyl , purinyl , carbazolyl , isoxazolyl , thiazolyl , oxazolyl , benzthiazolyl , and benzoxazolyl . in another embodiment , ar is selected from : unsubstituted or mono - or di - substituted phenyl , naphthyl , pyridyl , pyrrolyl , pyrazinyl , pyrimidyl , and oxazolyl . vi ) halo ; cyano ; nitro ; trihalomethyl ; trihalomethoxy ; c 1 - 6 alkyl ; aryl ; c 1 - 6 alkylsulfonyl ; c 1 - 6 alkyl - arylsulfonamino ; vii ) — nr b r c ; r b — c ( o )— n ( r c )—; wherein r b and r c are independently h , c 1 - 6 alkyl , aryl , or arylc 1 - 6 alkyl ; wherein the alkyl moiety is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 - 3 of : halo ; c 1 - 4 alkoxy ; or trifluoromethyl ; and the aryl moiety is unsubstituted or substituted with 1 - 3 of : halo ; c 1 - 4 alkyl ; c 1 - 4 alkoxy ; or trifluoromethyl ; viii ) a heterocyclic group , which is a 5 membered aromatic ring , containing one ring nitrogen atom , or one ring oxygen and one ring nitrogen atom . the starting material for the process is produced according to the procedures in miller et al ., tetrahedron letters 37 ( 20 ) 3429 - 3432 ( 1996 ) and those in pct publication wo 95 / 32215 , and is generally known and available in the art . addition of methyl magnesium chloride to the 7 - keto - 3 , 16 bis acetate starting material ( 1 ) cleaves the 3 and 16 acetates with concurrent addition to the 7 - ketone to produce ( 2 ). anhydrous cerium trichloride , in the proper needle form , was added to the grignard before addition to the 7 - ketone and improved the yield of the reaction by & gt ; 15 %. the triol ( 2 ) can be carried on to the next step without purification , or it may be isolated . oxidation of the triol ( 2 ) to the dienedione ( 3 ) was carried out under oppenauer conditions with 2 - butanone , aluminum isopropoxide , and triethylamine . concurrent hydrolysis of the aluminum salts and elimination of the 7 - oh occurred upon aging with concentrated hcl . butanone dimers can be removed from the reaction mixture by a water distillation before carrying on to the next step , or the dienedione ( 3 ) may be isolated . a chemo - and stereoselective reduction of the dienone ( 3 ) to the 7 - p methyl enone ( 4 ) was achieved under transfer hydrogenation conditions using 10 % pd / c and cyclohexene as the hydrogen donor . careful front run of the reaction and frequent monitoring ensured little overreduction and a high yield of enone . the oxidative cleavage of the enone ( 4 ) to the seco acid ( 5 ) was carried using sodium periodate and catalytic potassium permangante with sodium carbonate . introduction of the nitrogen atom into the a ring occurs in refluxing acetic acid with ammonium acetate . bht was added as a radical inhibitor to prevent decomposition of enelactam ketone ( 6 ). chemo - and stereoselective reduction of the crude enelactam ketone ( 6 ) was carried out with l - selectride at − 5 ° c . after an oxidative workup to convert the trialkylboron by - products to boric acid , the enelactam alcohol ( 7 ) is crystallized from acetonitrile . running this reaction under more dilute conditions and reducing the level of toluene improves yield . hydrogenation of the enelactam alcohol ( 7 ) is critical because enelactam left behind does not crystallize away from the nh lactam alcohol ( 8 ) and impacts on the purity of the final product . arylation of the nh lactam alcohol ( 8 ) was carried out using potassium t - butoxide in n - methyl - pyrrolidinone to give ( 9 ). the isomeric purity of the fluoro - substituted aryl reagent is of key concern in this reaction because both the ortho and meta isomers of the fluorotoluene also react to give the corresponding isomeric products . complete iodination in forming ( 10 ) is important since the nh lactam alcohol is not easily removed from the iodide or final bulk drug by recrystallization . the level of nh lactam alcohol in the iodide is typically controlled at less than 0 . 2 wt %. care must be taken to carry out the quench at low temperature ( less than 5 ° c .) in order to avoid reduction of the iodide to the starting material . representative experimental procedures utilizing the novel process are detailed below . these procedures are exemplary only and should not be construed as being limitations on the novel process of this invention . abbreviations : acn is acetonitrile ; bht is 2 , 6 - t - butyl - 4 - methylphenol ; ca is circa ; dbu is ( 1 , 8 - diazabicyclo [ 5 . 4 . 0 ] undec - 7 - ene ; ipa is isopropyl alcohol ; l - selectride ® is lithium tri - sec - butylborohydride ; mek is methyl ethyl ketone ; nmp is 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone ; thf is tetrahydrofuran ; tmeda is n , n , n ′, n ′- tetramethylethylenediamine ; tmsc1 is chlorotrimethylsilane . cerium chloride ( 3 . 96 kg ) was charged as a solid to the reaction vessel . thf ( 35 kg ) was charged using vacuum , then water ( 20 ml ) was added via the charge port and the mixture aged at 35 ° c . for 1 hr . a sample was taken and examined by microscopy to ensure that conversion to the required crystal form had occurred . ( amorphous cerium chloride stirred in thf converts to a fine rod - like crystalline form . this crystalline form is necessary to obtain the stereo - selectivity in the grignard reaction . previous experience had shown that the water content of the thf / cerium chloride should be less than 1000 ppm in order to get the required crystal form . wetter slurries were found to irreversibly form another crystal form that did not exhibit the same specificity in the grignard reaction . however , the thf used in this instance was extremely dry (& lt ; 50 ppm ) and stirring the amorphous cerium chloride in it did not produce the required conversion and the solid remained amorphous . it was demonstrated that a small amount of water is necessary for the conversion to take place , and water was added to the batch to give a total water content of ca 500 ppm .) after cooling the batch to 25 ° c ., 3m methyl magnesium chloride in thf ( 80 . 46 kg ) was added to the vessel . the mixture was cooled to 0 - 5 ° c . and aged for 30 minutes . the 7 - ketone starting material ( 1 ) ( 9 . 2 kg ) was slurried in thf ( 50 l ) and added to the grignard reagent slurry over 75 minutes , maintaining a temperature of & lt ; 20 ° c . the batch was sampled and reaction completion confirmed by hplc : & lt ; 0 . 1a % ( 1 ) detected . the grignard reaction mixture was slowly added to a quenching solution formed by the addition of toluene ( 70 kg ) to a solution of water ( 146 l ) and solid citric acid ( 43 . 9 kg ). care was made to maintain the temperature at & lt ; 20 ° c . the reaction vessel and transfer lines were rinsed with thf ( 10 kg ). the mixture was stirred for 15 minutes then settled for 30 minutes . both phases were cut to drums and the aqueous layer returned to was back extracted with 39 kg of ethyl acetate ( agitated for 10 mins , settled for 30 mins ). the aqueous layer was cut to waste drums and the thf batch layer was combined with the ethyl acetate layer . 20 % sodium carbonate solution ( 49 . 2 kg ) was added to the stirred solution over 15 minutes then the mixture settled for 30 minutes and the aqueous phase cut to waste . the batch layer was washed with 51 . 5 kg of 20 % sodium chloride solution ( agitated for 10 mins , settled for 30 minutes ) and the aqueous phase cut to waste . triethylamine ( 4 . 8 kg ) was added and the solution concentrated in vacuo to ca 100 l . toluene was added and distillation continued , until the level of thf / ethyl acetate had dropped to & lt ; 0 . 5vol % by gc . the final volume was made up to 275 l , with toluene and the slurry held was used in example 2 . 30 % a to 80 % a in 25 min ; hold for 5 min to a slurry of triol in toluene ( 7 . 59 kg in 275 l ) was added triethylamine ( 3 . 8 kg ) and aluminium isopropoxide ( 10 kg ) followed by 2 - butanone ( 100 kg ). the mixture was heated at reflux for 6 hrs , cooled slightly , a sample was taken , and reaction completion confirmed by hplc (& lt ; 5a % 16 - oh &# 39 ; s dienone relative to 16 - keto - diene - dione ). the batch was cooled to 20 ° c ., then allowed to stand overnight . a mixture of water ( 62 . 5 l ) and 12n hydrochloric acid ( 73 . 7 kg ) was transferred to the reaction mixture . the reaction mixture was heated to 58 - 60 ° c . and aged for 4 hrs . a sample was taken and the disappearance of 7 - oh enone intermediate confirmed by hplc . the batch was cooled to 20 ° c ., allowed to settle for 15 mins and the aqueous phase cut to waste . 2 . 5 % sodium bicarbonate solution ( 100 l ) was added to the toluene layer , stirred for 15 mins , settled for 30 mins and the aqueous phase cut to waste . this procedure was repeated with 100 l of water . the organic phases from the two batches prepared as described above were combined and concentrated in vacuo to a volume of 100 l . water was fed in under vacuum then distillation continued at atmospheric pressure until the level of 2 - butanone dimers in the batch had dropped to & lt ; 3a % relative to diene - dione ; a total of 70 l of water was distilled . toluene ( 100 l ) was added to the residue , the mixture agitated for 5 mins then settled for 15 mins . the organic layer was saved . the aqueous phase returned was extracted with toluene ( 40 l ). the organic layers were combined and concentrated in vacuo to a final volume of ca 60 l . the solution was held for example 3 . 30 % a to 80 % a in 25 min ; hold for 5 min diene - dione ( 3 ) ( 12 . 9 kg ) was converted to enone ( 4 ) ( 11 . 69 assay kg , 90 . 0 % yield ) in one batch . the enone was not isolated but carried through for use in example 4 as a solution in t - butanol . to the reaction vessel was added 10 % pd / c ( 5 . 32 kg , 51 . 5 % water wet ), followed by the toluene solution of diene - dione obtained as a product of example 2 , ( 12 . 9 kg in 70 l ), ethanol ( 38 . 1 l ), and cyclohexene ( 64 . 9 l ). the mixture was agitated and dbu ( 1 . 28 kg ) was added . a sample was taken and the mixture warmed to reflux . the reaction was sampled periodically and heating continued ( 6 hrs ) until the diene - dione level , measured by hplc fell below 1 . 0 mg / ml . ( as benzene is produced as a by - product of the reaction , care was taken to use local extraction when sampling .) after cooling to 25 ° c ., the batch was filtered through a 45 cm plate filter set with a polypropylene cloth , card , and solka floc diatomaceous earth ( 1 . 5 kg ). the filter became blocked after about 50 % of the slurry had passed through and had to be dismantled and reset . the vessel , lines and filter pad were rinsed with toluene ( 20 l ) and the combined filtrates allowed to stand overnight . 1n hydrochloric acid ( 44 l ) was added to the filtrate . the mixture was agitated for 5 mins , settled for 15 mins and the lower aqueous phase cut to waste . this wash procedure was repeated with 5 % sodium chloride solution ( 42 l ). the organic phase was concentrated in vacuo to ca 50 l then transferred to a reaction vessel via a 0 . 5 m cotton cartridge filter and distillation continued to ca 22 l . the solvent was switched to t - butanol . t - butanol ( total of 144 kg ) was charged and distilled in vacuo ( 30 l distilled ) until the required removal of the previous solvents was achieved ( toluene & lt ; 15 mg / ml , cyclohexene , 0 . 05 mg / ml ). the batch ( 11 . 69 kg of enone in 136 . 2 kg of solution ) was held for further reaction in example 4 . ( because t - butanol freezes at 26 ° c ., all drums of pure solvent and batch solutions were stored on a heating pad to maintain a temperature of ca 40 ° c .) 30 % a to 80 % a in 25 min ; hold for 5 min enone ( 4 ) ( 11 . 69 assay kg ) was converted to seco acid ( 10 . 3 assay kg ) in 83 % yield in two batches . the product was not isolated but held as a solution in ethyl acetate for example 5 . the oxidizing solution was made up first . water ( 150 l ), sodium periodate ( 25 . 54 kg ) and potassium permanganate ( 0 . 47 kg ) were added to the reaction vessel and the mixture warmed to 65 ° c . until all the solids had dissolved ( ca 30 minutes ). a solution of enone ( 4 ) ( 5 . 9 kg ) in t - butanol ( 70 kg ) was added to a second reaction vessel and rinsed in with t - butanol ( 16 kg ). a solution of sodium carbonate ( 2 . 10 kg ) in water ( 80 l ) was added to the enone solution and stirred at 55 ° c . the oxidant was added over 1 hr , maintaining the temperature at 60 ° c . the batch was aged at 60 ° c . for 30 mins then sampled and assayed for starting material ( 0 . 07 mg / ml , 99 % complete ), and then heated at 80 ° c . for 30 mins to decompose excess oxidant . the resulting brown slurry was cooled to 12 - 15 ° c ., aged for 15 mins then filtered through a 65 cm filter fitted with a polypropylene cloth . the vessel and filter pad were rinsed with aqueous t - butanol ( water 70 l , t - butanol 35 l ). the filter removed the bulk of the inorganic solids but some fine brown material passed through . the liquors were returned to the reaction vessel via a 0 . 5 m cotton cartridge filter , then the ph of the solution was measured at 9 . the cartridge filter became blocked with the fine brown inorganic solid and required changing several times during the transfer . if the ph had been & lt ; 9 , it would have been adjusted by addition of sodium carbonate solution . hexane ( 30 kg ) was added . the mixture was agitated for 15 minutes , settled for 15 mins then the aqueous layer cut to drums and the hexane layer cut to waste . the aqueous phase was returned to the reaction vessel together with ethyl acetate ( 41 kg ), then the ph of the batch adjusted to 1 - 2 by addition of 12n hydrochloric acid solution , maintaining the temperature at 15 - 20 ° c . the mixture was stirred for 15 mins , settled for 30 mins and both phases cut to plastic lined drums . the aqueous phase was returned to the vessel and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 26 kg ). this extraction was repeated , and then all the organic phases combined in the reaction vessel , and washed with 10 % brine solution ( 27 l ). the aqueous phase was cut to waste and the organic phase drummed and assayed . 30 % a to 80 % a in 25 min ; hold for 7 min seco - acid ( 9 . 8 kg ) was converted to ene lactam ketone ( 9 . 07 kg ) in a single batch . the product was not isolated , but instead carried through to example 6 as a toluene solution . a solution of seco - acid ( 10 . 3 kg ) in ethyl acetate ( 282 kg ) was added to a reaction vessel and concentrated in vacuo to a minimum stirred volume of ca 35 l . the solvent was then switched to acetic acid in vacuo . a total of 80 kg of acetic acid was added , and 60 l distilled to achieve an ethyl acetate concentration of & lt ; lmg / ml in a final volume of 76 l ( seco - acid concentration : 124 . 9 g / l ). a portion of this solution ( 4 l , containing 500 g of seco - acid ) was removed for other studies . the remaining solution ( 9 . 8 kg in 72 l ) was diluted with acetic acid to a total volume of 150 l , then bht ( 0 . 1 kg ) and ammonium acetate ( 23 . 7 kg ) were added via the charge port and the mixture warmed to reflux . acetic acid ( 60 l ) was distilled and then reflux continued for a total of 5 hrs . the progress of the reaction was monitored by hplc and the reaction was considered complete when the concentration of seco - acid fell to & lt ; 0 . 5 mg / ml . the batch was cooled to 20 ° c ., then toluene ( 100 l ) and water ( 100 l ) added , the solution stirred for 20 mins , settled for 20 mins and both phases cut to plastic lined drums . the aqueous phase was returned to the reaction vessel and extracted with toluene ( 50 l ). the organic phases were combined , washed with 5 % aqueous sodium chloride solution ( 50 l ) and assayed ( total volume 160 l , 56 . 7 g / l for 98 . 5 % yield ). the solution was concentrated in vacuo to give a thick slurry ( 37 l ) of ene - lactam ketone . 30 % a to 80 % a in 20 min ; hold for 15 min the slurry of ene - lactam ketone ( 9 . 07 kg ) in toluene ( 35 l ) in the reaction vessel was diluted with thf ( 89 kg ) and cooled to − 5 ° c . l - selectride ( 34 . 5 kg of 1m solution ) was added to the slurry over 1 hr , maintaining the temperature between − 5 ° c . and 0 ° c . the batch was aged at 0 ° c . for 20 mins then sampled . hplc analysis showed that 11 . 7 mol % still remained . further l - selectride ( 3 . 4 kg ) was added then aged for 40 minutes at 0 ° c . and sampled . hplc analysis showed that 9 . 9 mol % still remained . the reaction was quenched by addition of 20 % aqueous sodium hydroxide solution ( 37 . 4 kg ), maintaining the temperature at & lt ; 20 ° c ., followed by 27 % hydrogen peroxide ( 19 . 8 kg ) at & lt ; 30 ° c . the mixture was stirred at 15 - 20 ° c . for 1 hr then excess peroxide confirmed using a merckoquant test strip ( e . merck ). the nitrogen purge rate was increased to 15 l / min during the hydrogen peroxide addition . 10 % aqueous sodium sulfite solution ( 129 kg ) was added , and the batch aged for 15 mins . the absence of peroxide was confirmed , and then the batch was settled for 15 mins and the aqueous phase cut to waste . 10 % aqueous sodium chloride solution ( 58 kg ) was added , the mixture agitated for 5 mins , settled for 15 mins and the aqueous phase cut to waste . the brine wash was repeated . the organic phase ( 128 . 3 kg ) was transferred to another reaction vessel via a 0 . 5 m cotton cartridge filter . the batch was concentrated to ca 40 l at atmospheric pressure then the solvent was switched to acetonitrile . a total of 200 kg of acetonitrile was charged and the mixture distilled to a final volume of 65 l . a sample was taken and toluene level ( spec - 200 mg / ml , measured - 0 . 7 mg / ml ) and kf ( spec - 400 mg / l , measured - 73 mg / l ) measured . the batch was allowed to cool to room temperature slowly overnight with gentle agitation , and then cooled to 5 ° c . over 1 hr and aged for 30 minutes . the solid was collected on a 33 cm stainless steel filter , washed with acetonitrile , then dried at ambient temperature in vacuo overnight . the dry solid was bagged . 30 % a to 80 % a in 20 min ; hold for 15 min ene - lactam alcohol ( 750 g ) was dissolved in a mixture of ipa ( 10 l ) and water ( 1 . 6 l ) by warming to 30 - 40 ° c . in a 20 l flask . bht ( 3 g ) and 50 % wet 10 % pd / c ( 375 g ) was added and the mixture charged using vacuum via the dip - leg to a 20 l autoclave , and then rinsed in with ipa ( 1 l ). the slurry was stirred under an atmosphere of hydrogen ( 60 psig ) at 50 ° c . for 6 hours then at 68 ° c . for 16 hrs . the batch was sampled via the dip - leg and checked for completion by hplc ( spec & lt ; 0 . 05a % starting material ). if the end point had not been reached , stirring under hydrogen was continued . the hydrogenation was carried out at 50 ° c . for the first few half - lives and then warmed to 68 ° c . meeting the end of reaction specification is important as ene - lactam alcohol is carried through to the final product . the batch was cooled to 30 - 40 ° c ., flushed with nitrogen several times , then transferred from the autoclave and filtered through solka floc ( 1 kg ). the autoclave and filter pad were washed with 1 : 10 water / ipa ( 2 l ), and the combined filtrates stored . the procedure above was repeated 10 times and the 10 batches of filtrate were combined and concentrated at atmospheric pressure to a volume of ca 25 l . after cooling to room temperature , water ( 42 l ) was added over 45 minutes and the batch cooled to 5 ° c . and aged for 1 hr . the solid was collected on a 33 cm filter fitted with a polypropylene cloth and then washed with 4 : 1 water / ipa ( 10 l ). the damp solid was transferred to trays and dried in vacuo at 35 ° c . overnight to give the lactam alcohol ( 8 ). to the lactam - alcohol ( 8 )( 3 . 1 kg ) in nmp ( 46 . 5 l ) at 20 ° c . was added kotbu ( 4 . 74 kg ). the mixture was aged at 200c for 20 min . 4 - fluorotoluene ( 2 . 21 kg ) was added in one portion . the slurry was heated to 140 ° c . until less than 0 . 5a % starting material remained by hplc analysis . the reaction mixture was cooled to 20 ° c . and water ( 46 . 5 l ) was added over lh maintaining temperature 20 - 30 ° c . the slurry was stirred at 20 ° c . for 1 h . the slurry was filtered , washed with water ( 10 l ) and dried using nitrogen stream overnight . to a solution of arylated nh lactam ( 9 ) ( 3 . 3 kg ) in thf ( 66 l ) at − 5 ° c . was added tmeda ( 3 . 76 l ) and tmscl ( 2 . 64 l ). the white slurry was stirred at − 5 ° c . for 15 minutes . iodine ( 4 . 24 kg ) was added to the slurry in three portions over 20 min . the reaction mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 3h until lactam sm was less than 0 . 1a % vs product ( 200 nm ). the reaction mixture was cooled to − 10 ° c . and a cold ( 50c ) freshly prepared solution of sodium sulfite in water ( 1 . 65 kg in 33 l ) was added to the reaction mixture over 20 min maintaining the quench temperature & lt ; 5 ° c . a color change to pale yellow from dark brown was observed . the mixture was seeded with iodide ( 10 gm ) and water ( 66 l ) added over 1 h at 5 ° c . the resultant slurry was aged at 5 ° c . for 1 h . the slurry was filtered , washed with water ( 33 l ) and dried in a nitrogen stream on the filter finnel overnight to yield pure ( 10 ). to a solution of potassium t - butoxide ( 6 . 8 kg ) in dry dmf ( 19 . 8 l ) at − 15 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere was added a slurry of iodo - lactam ( 3 . 95 kg ) in dry thf ( 19 . 8 l ) over approx 1 h . thf ( 1 l ) was used as vessel and line rinse . the reaction temperature was maintained & lt ;− 15 to - 10 ° c . during addition . after a 15 min age a sample was taken for analysis by hplc . water ( 45 l ) was added over 20 min maintaining the temperature & lt ; 10 ° c . the resultant slurry was aged at 5 ° c . for 2 h . the slurry was filtered and washed with water ( 15 l ). the cake was dried in air to & lt ; 15 wt % water . the wet cake was dissolved in thf ( 30 l ) at room temperature and filtered through a 5 micron in - line filter into a 50 l vessel . the glassware and line were washed with thf ( 1 l ). the filtrates were concentrated at reduced pressure to about 10 l . n - butyl acetate ( 20 l ) was added and concentration continued at atmospheric pressure to a final volume of about 10 l . the hot ( 120 ° c .) solution was cooled to 80 ° c . and seeded with product ( 11 ) ( 2 gm ). the resultant slurry was aged at 80 ° c . for 30 min then cooled to − 5 ° c . over 2 h . the slurry was filtered and the cake washed with cold n - butyl acetate ( 1 l ) and dried in a nitrogen stream overnight . according to the procedures outlined in examples 1 - 10 , the following compounds of structural formula below are prepared while the foregoing specification teaches the principles of the present invention , with examples provided for the purpose of illustration , it will be understood that the practice of the invention encompasses all of the usual variations , adaptations , and modifications , as come within the scope of the following claims and its equivalents . | 2 |
a lock shown in fig1 has a rotary latch 1 . 1 which acts against a rotary - latch spring 1 . 2 . the rotary latch 1 . 1 is held in the locked position shown in this figure by a pawl 1 . 3 which acts against a pawl spring 1 . 4 . the u - shaped rotary latch 1 . 1 by its two arms surrounds a locking wedge 1 . 5 and thus , in known manner , holds a car door for instance in its closed position . the above - indicated parts as well as the following parts are mounted on a lock plate 1 . 6 , in which connection this lock plate 1 . 6 can also represent a housing which can be easily , simply and in space - saving manner mounted , for instance , within the door of the motor vehicle . the setting device is developed as an electric motor 1 . 7 on the output shaft of which there is a pinion 1 . 8 which can mesh with a toothed segment which then acts on the pawl 1 . 3 . in fig1 a , on the other hand , it is shown that a toothed segment 1 . 9 acting on the pawl 1 . 3 is connected via the toothed segment 1 . 10 to the pinion 1 . 8 . in this case , the pinion 1 . 8 meshes with a large gear wheel 1 . 10 a of the toothed segment 1 . 10 to the pinion 1 . 8 , the toothed segment 1 . 10 having , on the same shaft , a smaller gear wheel 1 . 10 b which meshes with the toothed segment 1 . 9 . in this way , the bi - directional movement of the electric motor 1 . 7 is converted and stepped - down so as to actuate the pawl 1 . 3 . for the detection of the position of the rotary latch 1 . 1 , a rotary - latch switch 1 . 11 is provided which , is actuated by a projection 12 on the rotary latch 1 . 1 when the latter has reached its open position , as shown in fig1 b . as further components , the lock 1 has stops 1 . 12 and 1 . 13 which limit the end positions of the toothed segment 1 . 9 . in the event that the toothed segment 1 . 9 strikes against one of the stops 1 . 12 or 1 . 13 , and the electric motor 1 . 7 is also connected , a slip clutch ( not shown ) can be provided at a suitable point between the electric motor 1 . 7 and the toothed segment 1 . 9 prevents overload and thus damage to or destruction of the elector motor 1 . 7 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 a , the pawl 1 . 3 and the toothed segment 1 . 9 are rotatable independently of each other around a pivot point 1 . 14 so that a driver 1 . 15 is associated with the toothed segment 1 . 9 , it striking , upon actuation of the electric motor 1 . 7 , against an arm 13 of the pawl 1 . 3 , carrying the latter along with it , thus releasing the rotary latch 1 . 1 . the rotary latch 1 . 1 , upon its release , moves automatically into the open position since the rotary latch spring 1 . 2 is arranged between two stops 1 . 16 and 1 . 17 . in the same manner , the locking pawl 1 . 3 is spring - loaded by the pawl spring 1 . 4 , the pawl spring resting on the one hand against the arm 13 of the pawl 1 . 3 and , on the other hand , against a stop 1 . 18 . in this way , upon actuation of the pawl 1 . 3 , the rotary latch 1 . 1 is directly released . furthermore , the rotary latch 1 . 1 has a shoulder 1 . 19 in which the pawl 1 . 3 can , but need not , initially engage in a first stroke position of the door , and then , after further movement by the electric motor 1 . 7 , releases the rotary latch 1 . 1 in its open position , ( second position of the door shown in fig1 b , whereby a two - stroke release position 1 . 20 of the vehicle door is made possible . fig2 shows a control device 10 by which the electric motor 1 . 7 ( fig1 a - 1b ) is controlled as a function of opening and closing commands . with the control device 10 there is associated at least one manipulator 10 . 1 which has a handle 10 . 2 as well as a switch 10 . 3 ( both shown diagrammatically ) which are arranged for instance in each case on the inside and outside of the motor vehicle door . the switch 10 . 3 is connected via a signal line 10 . 4 with the control device 10 , in which connection , in the event of more than one car door , several manipulators 10 . 1 can also be present . furthermore , the control device 10 is connected with a setting device 10 . 5 ( in particular , the electric motor 1 . 7 ), the control device 10 receiving information as to the position of the rotary latch 1 . 1 via a sensor 10 . 6 ( comprising the rotary - latch switch 1 . 11 ). furthermore , the control device 10 has , associated with it , an input device 10 . 7 ( for instance a switch for the activating and deactivating of a child - proof device ) as well as a receiver 10 . 8 , in which connection opening and closing commands can be transmitted via a transmitter 10 . 9 to the receiver 10 . 8 . furthermore , the control device 10 has , associated with it , an electric current supply 10 . 10 , an indicating device 10 . 11 ( for the status indication ), as well as another input device 10 . 12 ( for special functions , as will be explained further below ). in addition , the control device 10 can be provided with an interface 10 . 13 via which given functions can be established via which further information with regard to the status of the vehicle can be transmitted to the control device 10 . an emergency current supply 10 . 14 and a voltage monitor 10 . 15 , which for instance activates the emergency current supply 10 . 14 when a predetermined voltage threshold is dropped below , are integrated in the control device 10 . both of the components 10 . 14 and 10 . 15 can be present , but need not be . by the reference numeral 10 . 16 there is indicated an input and output control as well as a control - and - memory - logic , with which , for instance , stored in a program , the functions of the control device are carried out . first of all , let us assume that the switch 10 . 3 ( and possibly also the other switches ) are deactivated so that actuation of the manipulator 10 . 1 does not produce any movement of the setting device 10 . 5 . this means that the car doors are closed , and thus an anti - theft device is connected . if the driver of the vehicle , for instance , desires the opening of at least one door or the actuation of the entire central locking system , he actuates the transmitter 10 . 9 or , for instance , also the other input device 10 . 12 , it being so developed that it can be actuated only under certain conditions with which the driver is , for instance , acquainted . this can , for instance , be the entering of a numerical code . after this entry of actuating of the transmitter 10 . 9 , the switch or switches 10 . 3 are switched into active position so that then , after actuation of the handle 10 . 2 , the setting device 10 . 5 is actuated , i . e . the electric motor 1 . 7 is connected until the rotary latch 1 . 1 is released into its open position by the pawl 1 . 3 ( or until the pawl 1 . 3 comes against the shoulder 1 . 9 which can be recognized by another sensor ). when the rotary latch 1 . 1 ( fig1 a - 1b ) has reached its open position , this is recognized by the sensor 10 . 6 ( rotary - latch switch 1 . 11 ), and the control device 10 . 5 is disconnected . after the recognition of the open position , a reversal in direction of rotation of the electric motor 1 . 7 advantageously takes place so that the toothed segment moves back into the position shown in fig1 a and the pawl 1 . 3 is pressed by the pawl spring 1 . 4 against the rotary latch 1 . 1 . thereby , when the door is closed , that is the locking wedge 1 . 5 is pressed into the rotary latch 1 . 1 , the spring - loaded pawl 1 . 3 holds the rotary latch 1 . 1 after a “ snapping ” into its locking position . as an alternative , it is conceivable also to provide a sensor for detecting the position of the locking wedge 1 . 5 , so that , when it has reached a position such as shown substantially in fig1 a , the pawl 1 . 3 is moved into the locking position via the toothed segments 1 . 9 and 1 . 10 . for this purpose , in the embodiment shown , the pawl 1 . 3 would be connected firmly to the toothed segment 1 . 9 . based on the construction shown in fig1 a and 1b , constructions in accordance with the invention are shown in fig3 a to 5 f and described below . this applies in the event that , for instance , the manufacturer of a motor vehicle desires mechanical redundance and / or this is required on basis of provisions of the law . fig3 a - 3f show the lock 1 which , in addition to the components already shown and described , which may possibly be modified in an easily recognizable manner , has an outer lever 2 which is connected to a door outside handle or else to a lock cylinder arranged in the outside region of the vehicle . the outer lever 2 has a nose 2 . 1 which can be operatively connected with the lever arm 1 . 22 of the pawl 1 . 3 . via a rod 2 . 2 or other transmission elements , the outer lever 2 is connected with the door outside handle or the closure cylinder and carries out substantially a linear movement in a direction of movement 2 . 3 . if the outer lever 2 is actuated , the pawl 1 . 3 is thereby moved from its locking position into the opening position , so that the door opens . furthermore , an inner lever 3 , connected for instance with a door inside handle , is integrated in the lock 1 . the inner lever 3 also has a nose 3 . 1 which can be operatively connected with the lever arm 1 . 22 . the inner lever 3 is displaceable linearly on a resting part , not further designated in this figure , such part being urged via a spring 3 . 2 and being swingable around a pivot point , also not further designated . the inner lever 3 has a slot 3 . 3 which receives the end of a core 3 . 6 , pre - tensioned by a spring 3 . 5 , in a bowden cable 3 . 4 . for the detecting and evaluating of the movement of the inner lever 3 there is provided an inner lever switch 3 . 7 which is actuated when the inner lever 3 is moved in a direction of movement 3 . 8 . as shown in fig3 b with respect to fig3 a , the inner lever 3 carries out a coupling moment 3 . 9 when the inner lever 3 is released from the nose 1 . 21 of the toothed segment 1 . 9 . in fig3 a , neither the outer lever 2 nor the inner lever 3 is operatively connected with the lever arm 1 . 22 , so that the lock cannot be opened either by the door inside handle or by the door outside handle . therefore , this corresponds to an anti - theft position . fig3 b shows a preparatory position , in which the pawl 1 . 3 can be brought into an open position on the basis of an opening command by the motor 1 . 7 , which position is then shown in fig3 c . fig3 d shows a position of the toothed segment 1 . 9 in which the lock 1 can be opened by actuation of the outer lever 2 , while the inner lever 3 is brought out of engagement with the lever arm 1 . 22 . fig3 e shows the case that the outer lever 2 has been actuated , as a result of which its nose 2 . 1 comes to rest against the lever arm 1 . 22 , swings the arm around the pivot point 1 . 14 and thus releases the rotary latch 1 . 1 . this opens the door . fig3 f shows the case that the door is opened by means of the inner lever 3 , its nose 3 . 1 resting against the lever arm 1 . 22 and turning the pawl 1 . 3 into its open position . in fig4 a - 4e , there is shown a further embodiment of a transmission device in accordance with the invention . in this case also there is again provided the inner lever 3 which , in the normal case , is brought out of engagement with the lever arm 1 . 22 of the pawl 1 . 3 and , in the event of a malfunction , can be operatively connected with it so that the door can be opened via the door inside handle and / or the door outside handle . in addition , a further bowden cable 3 . 10 is shown which also has a core 3 . 12 which is pre - tensioned by a spring 3 . 11 . in this case , the outer lever 2 is actuated via a closure cylinder while the inner lever 3 is connected with the door inside handle or door outside handle by the bowden cables 3 . 4 and 3 . 10 or their cores 3 . 6 and 3 . 12 respectively . in order that , upon actuation of the door inside handle or door outside handle , movement of the handles can take place independently of each other . a slide block 3 . 13 is provided which receives the ends of the cores 3 . 6 and 3 . 12 which are displaceable linearly , independently of each other , within this slide block . around the pivot point 1 . 14 there is rotatably arranged an additional coupling element 1 . 41 which has a projection ( nose ) 1 . 42 . the coupling element 1 . 41 is movable up to a stop 1 . 43 . the inner lever 3 is mounted for displacement on a resting part 3 . 14 , which is also swingable . at its upper end , the resting part 3 . 14 has , at its upper end , a pot 3 . 15 which contains a spring 3 . 16 which is pretensioned in the normal case . the resting part 3 . 14 is provided with a triangular recess 3 . 17 into which the projection 1 . 42 extends and is thus fixed in place . in the normal case , the rotary latch 1 . 1 is locked or released by the pawl 1 . 3 . in these cases , the inner lever 3 is brought out of engagement with the pawl 1 . 3 by the interaction between the projection 1 . 42 and the triangular recess 3 . 17 , so that the pawl is without action . if a malfunction occurs , which is recognized in suitable manner by the control device 10 , the coupling element 1 . 41 is swung by the toothed segment 1 . 9 , which then strikes against a stop 1 . 44 on the coupling element 1 . 41 , into the position shown in fig4 c , so that the projection 1 . 42 is moved out of the triangular recess 3 . 17 . in this way , the inner lever 3 , together with its resting part 3 . 14 , is brought in the direction of the pawl 1 . 3 so that the nose 3 . 1 of the inner lever 3 can be brought into operative connection with the lever arm 1 . 22 . thereby , in the event of this malfunction , the door can be opened by the door outside handle ( fig4 d ) or the door inside handle ( fig4 e ). the arrangement or the geometrical development of the projection 1 . 42 and of the triangular recess 3 . 17 are in this connection so selected that after the recognition of a malfunction and the corresponding swinging of the coupling element 1 . 41 ( fig4 c ), the position for the normal case ( fig4 a or 4 b ) can again be established . a return into the normal position can , for instance , be effected by a spring which acts on the coupling element 1 . 44 . fig5 a - 5f show another embodiment in which a further electric motor 1 . 25 is provided which bears a pinion 1 . 26 on its output shaft . the electric motor 1 . 25 is connected to the control device 10 and actuated by it . around the pivot point 1 . 14 there is arranged another swing lever 1 . 27 having a toothed segment 1 . 28 which has an arm 1 . 29 . the toothed segment 1 . 28 meshes with the pinion 1 . 26 . stops 1 . 30 and 1 . 31 are provided in order to limit the movement of the arm 1 . 29 . fig5 a shows the position that the inner lever 3 is brought out of engagement with the lever arm 1 . 22 by the arm 1 . 29 which again corresponds to an anti - theft position . in fig5 b , the electric motor 1 . 25 has been controlled in such a manner that the inner lever 3 can be brought into operative connection with the lever arm 1 . 22 , but this has not yet been done . fig5 c shows , again in another view , the anti - theft position , while fig5 d shows that the pawl 1 . 3 has been moved by the electric motor 1 . 7 into its open position . the inner lever 3 is again connected via the cores 3 . 6 and 3 . 12 with the door inside handle or door outside handle , in which connection , here also , the slide block 3 . 13 is used . an emergency unlocking by actuation of the inner lever 3 which has been released by actuation of the door inside handle or door outside handle is shown in fig5 e and 5f . in this connection , again , the inner lever 3 is moved downward , its nose 3 . 1 being brought against the lever arm 1 . 22 and thus moving the pawl 1 . 3 into its open position . fig6 is a cross section of the lock along the dashed line shown in fig1 a . | 4 |
under the background stated above , the present invention have carried out an intensive investigation for the purpose of developing an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of peptic ulcer by using several experimental ulcer models which are widely accepted . the anti - ulcer effect of drugs can be subjectively estimated thereby , and the therapeutic effect of the drug estimated in the studies that employed these models correlates well with clinical efficacy of the drugs . as a result , the present inventors have found that mo - 8282 and its salt possess significant therapeutic effects on peptic ulcer . mo - 8282 , which relates to the present invention and has the formula ( i ), ## str1 ## is a known compound , which has anti - depressive activity , and can be synthesized according to the method of van der burg ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 002 , 632 ) briefly , 3 -( 2 - benzylphenyl )- 5 - carboethoxy - 1 - methyl - piperidon - 4 was mixed with 5 n hydrochloric acid and allowed to react . the reaction mixture was sequentially extracted with benzene , hydrochloric acid and then with ether to obtain a mixture of 3 -( 2 - benzylphenyl )- 1 - methyl - piperidon - 4 and 2 - n - methyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydro - 9h - dibenzo -[ a , e ]- pyridino [ 3 , 4 - c ]- cyclo - heptariene ( mo - 8282 ). polyphosphoric acid was added to this mixture and the mixture was allowed to complete reaction . mo - 8282 thus obtained has a molecular weight of 261 . 5 , is colorless plate - like crystals with a melting point of 138 . 5 °- 139 . 5 ° c ., and is soluble in ether , ethyl acetate , n - hexane and chloroform and insoluble in ethanol . mo - 8282 can be converted into a pharmacologically acceptable salt using appropriate acids . for example , the following acids may be used : inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acids , sulfuric acid , nitric acid or phosphoric acid , and organic acids such as acetic acid , maleic acid , lactic acid , tartaric acid , formic acid or oxalic acid . most commonly , maleic acid is prefered . maleic acid salt of mo - 8282 is obtained by treating free base of mo - 8282 with maleic acid dissolved in alcohol . maleic acid salt of mo - 8282 thus obtained has a molecular weight of 377 . 4 , a melting point of 160 °- 162 ° c ., and is soluble in water or ethanol and stable at room temperature . now , the pharmacological action and toxicity of mo - 8282 will be described below , with reference to typical experiments . a group of 8 wistar male rats weighing 130 - 180 g were used in a group . after a 48 - hour period of fasting , the pylorus was ligated under ether anesthesia and mo - 8282 was administered subcutaneously . nineteen hours after ligation , the severity of ulcerous lesions in the proventricular part of the stomach was observed and expressed in a numerical scale according to the method of adami et al . ( arch . int . pharmacodyn . ther ., 143 , 113 ( 1964 )) as the ulcer - index . inhibition of ulceration was calculated with ulcer - indexes of the treated group and those of a control group . the anti - ulcer effects of well - known therapeutic agents on the market , sulpiride and cetraxate , were examined for comparison . the results are shown in table 1 . table 1______________________________________ dose inhibitioncontrol ( mg / kg ) rate (%) ______________________________________control -- 0mo - 8282 3 34 . 9mo - 8282 10 44 . 2sulpiride 100 16 . 3cetraxate 300 44 . 2______________________________________ as shown in table 1 , mo - 8282 showed significant inhibitory action on shay ulcer in rats and its efficacy was superior to the two reference drugs , sulpiride and cetraxate . groups of 10 male guinea - pigs weighing 280 - 300 g were used . after a 24 - hour period of fasting , mo - 8282 was orally administered to the animals , and ten minutes after mo - 8282 administration , 5 mg / kg of histamine were intravenously injected . two hours later , the stomach was removed and the size of the ulcerous lesions were measured . based on the size of the lesions , the inhibitory effect of the drug was estimated . the effects of sulpiride , cetraxate and aluminum sucrose sulphate were also determined for comparison . the results are shown in table 2 . table 2______________________________________ dose inhibitioncontrol ( mg / kg ) rate (%) ______________________________________control -- 0mo - 8282 3 54 . 7mo - 8282 10 98 . 6sulpiride 300 5 . 6cetraxate 300 - 7 . 0aluminum 1 , 000 98 . 3sucrosesulphate______________________________________ as shown in table 2 , mo - 8282 showed significant inhibitory action on histamine - induced ulcers in guinea - pigs and its efficacy was superior to that of the reference drugs . groups of 14 - 16 male wistar rats weighing 210 - 280 g were used . according to the method of okabe et al . ( folia pharmacologica japonica , 74 , 773 ( 1978 )), 0 . 015 ml of 20 % acetic acid solution was injected under the serous membrane at the border of the proventricular part and glandular part of the stomach . then the abdomen was closed and mo - 8282 was administered orally three times a day for 10 days . the stomach was removed 12 days after the injection of acetic acid and the size of the ulcerous lesions was measured . based on the size of the lesions , the inhibitory effect of the drug was estimated . the effects of sulpiride were also determined for comparison . the results are shown in table 3 . table 3______________________________________ dose inhibitioncontrol ( mg / kg ) rate (%) ______________________________________control -- 0mo - 8282 3 23 . 2mo - 8282 10 51 . 2sulpiride 100 43 . 9______________________________________ as shown in table 3 , mo - 8282 showed significant inhibitory action on acetic acid - induced ulcer in rats and its efficacy was superior to that of the reference drug with a lower dose . furthermore , promotion of healing by the compound was also evident under microscopic observation . acute oral toxicity of mo - 8282 was investigated using icr mice and wistar rats . ld 50 was calculated by the litchfield - wilcoxon method using mortality at 7 days after drug administration . the results are shown in table 4 . ______________________________________ ld . sub . 50animal sex ( mg / kg ) ______________________________________icr mice male 423icr mice female 454wistar rats male 630wistar rats female 554______________________________________ as shown in table 4 , the toxic dose of mo - 8282 was shown to be considerably higher than its therapeutic dose , and the fact that mo - 8282 is a highly safe therapeutic agent was demonstrated . as has been described in the above experiments , mo - 8282 is highly effective as a therapeutic agent for peptic ulcer . although the daily dose of mo - 8282 as a therapeutic agent for peptic ulcer in humans is in the range of from 1 . 0 to 100 mg , preferably from 1 . 5 to 60 mg , it may be suitably increased or decreased depending on the symptoms , sex and age of the patient . although the agent of the present invention is generally prepared in the form of an oral agent , for example tablets , capsules , granules , powders and liquid oral preparations , it may be used in other forms of preparation such as rectal suppositories . the compound of this invention , mo - 8282 , can be formulated into agents by any of the conventional methods using pharmaceutically acceptable carriers or excipients . examples of solid carriers and excipients usable advantageously herein include common excipients such as lactose , mannitol , corn starch and potato starch ; binders such as crystalline cellulose , cellulose derivatives , arabic gum , corn starch and gellatin ; disintegrators such as corn starch , potato starch and calcium carbohydroxymethylcellulose ; and lubricants such as talc and magnesium stearate . examples of liquid carriers usable advantageously herein include distilled water for injection , physiological saline solution , vegetable oils for injection and glycols such as propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol . some typical but non - limiting formulations of the agent of this invention will be shown below . one hundred grams of mo - 8282 , 720 g of lactose , 150 g of potato starch , 15 g of polyvinyl alcohol and 15 g of magnesium stearate were weighed . such amounts of mo - 8282 , lactose and potato starch were mixed until the mixture became homogeneous . then an aqueous solution of the polyvinyl alcohol was added to the mixture and granulated by a wet granulation process . the granules thus obtained were dried and mixed with the above - mentioned amount of magnesium stearate and formed into tablets , each weighing 200 mg . one hundred grams of mo - 8282 , 885 g of lactose and 15 g of magnesium stearate were mixed until the mixture became homogeneous . then the mixture was filled into # 3 hard gellatin - capsules , so that each capsule contained 100 mg of the mixture . one hundred grams of mo - 8282 , 890 g of lactose and 10 g of magnesium stearate were mixed until the mixture became homogeneous to obtain a 10 % powder preparation . | 8 |
all elements not specifically described herein have the same function as described in the applications incorporated by reference above . an embodiment of the present invention is shown in perspective view in fig1 . a plurality of ground units 100 , 4000 , 5000 are deployed on the ground and positioned near their intended targets which may be underground voids or objects . land unit 100 is shown positioned above target 1 . ground units 100 , 4000 , 5000 may be delivered there by a number of different conventional known methods including an air - drop for inaccessible locations . a plurality of seismic sensors 1810 may be attached to ground units 100 , 4000 , 5000 or scattered on the ground . these may sense phenomena and send it back to the ground units 100 , 4000 , 5000 or central control unit 6000 via telemetry . a central command unit 6000 may be located remotely at a land base , ship based or located on an aircraft . the land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 and central command unit 6000 communicate with each other . ground unit 100 employs a platform subsystem 1000 having retention and orientation devices 1500 which secure ground unit 100 to the ground and tilts platform 1000 to an optimum orientation for boring to target 1 . platform subsystem 1000 is designed to hold , store and carry all the equipment during deployment , initiate boring of an access hole , hold materials to be used in a fuel reservoir , stabilize ground unit 100 for boring , and communicate with other units . a boring subsystem 3000 bores down through the ground toward target 1 , creating an access hole 5 . boring subsystem 3000 is designed to force the excavated materials out of the access hole 5 and to the surface . boring subsystem 3000 is connected to platform subsystem 1000 by an umbilical subsystem 2000 . umbilical subsystem 2000 connects the platform 1000 and boring 3000 subsystems . it acts to pass materials , electricity , and control signals between platform 1000 and boring 3000 subsystems . umbilical subsystem 2000 also employs a number of sensors and actuators . mechanical actuators absorb much of the forces produced during boring , as well as for steering and advancing umbilical subsystem 2000 and boring 3000 subsystems deeper into the access hole 5 . each subsystem is described in greater detail below . since these land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 are used in emergency situations , which need to be deployed quickly , or are used in inaccessible areas , as stated above , they may be air dropped . the land units may hit trees , fall down canyons , off cliffs , or impact hard rock faces upon deployment . some land units may be destroyed or inactivated . in the interest of speed and efficiency , each land unit is programmed with certain tasks . in one embodiment , they operate in parallel , each covering a specific region . this may include , providing sonic shock waves to the ground , receiving reflected sonic waves , transmitting and / or receiving other signals . the land unit may also be responsible for processing information which is used by at least one other land unit , or central command unit 6000 . therefore , if this land unit is disabled , the above functions will not be performed without reconfiguration of the system . to understand their high level function control and allocations , it is important to understand the systems and functioning of each ground unit 100 , 4000 , 5000 . platform subsystem 1000 is shown and described in connection with fig2 and 3 . platform 1000 carries all the devices of ground unit 100 to an intended location . the umbilical subsystem 2000 employs elements as described in the “ cross reference to related applications ”, above with any additional elements and functionality described herein . one or more pumps ( not shown ) may be required to pump the energetic fluid 7 ( and also the payload fluid ) through umbilical subsystem 2000 to boring system 3000 . there are sensors which monitor the functioning of the pumps , the flow of one or more fluids and the pressure and levels of the fluid reservoir and other reservoirs . the umbilical subsystem performs four key functions during the mission : ( a ) acting as a structural member assuring constant descent ; ( b ) acting as a conduit for the energetic fluid 7 from the platform 1000 to boring subsystem 3000 , ( c ) acting as a stable platform for propulsion and steering actuators mounted at intervals on the outer umbilical surface , and ( d ) acting as a delivery pump for pumping life - support or neutralizing materials from platform 1000 . the umbilical subsystem 2000 employs elements as described in the “ cross reference to related applications ”, above with any additional elements and functionality described herein . one embodiment of the umbilical subsystem 2000 according to the present invention is shown in perspective views in fig4 and 5 . here it can be seen that the umbilical subsystem 2000 is designed to be flexible . umbilical subsystem 2000 attaches to , and carries boring subsystem 3000 having a plurality of pulsejets 3100 located at its distal end . in fig6 , the umbilical subsystem 2000 is shown constructed from a flexible material or a plurality of articulating segments 2110 . these segments 2110 may partially fit inside , and be pulled out from adjacent segments , thereby reducing and increasing the length of umbilical subsystem 2000 , respectively . these may also be inserted into the adjacent umbilical segment 2110 in an uneven manner causing the umbilical to curve in a desired direction . each segment 2110 has hydraulic , pneumatic , artificial muscle , fluid driven or other mechanical actuators 2100 . therefore , the segments 2110 may be selectively pulled into , or extended from adjacent segments thereby causing the umbilical subsystem 2000 to lengthen , shorten , or to curve in a given direction . the umbilical sensors and actuators are used here for descriptive purposes , however , sensors and actuators will be used throughout the system . when one of these actuators or sensors is mentioned , it is to be understood that the same will apply to other sensors and actuators of the system . the actuators 2100 in the umbilical 2000 control propulsion , guidance , steering , stabilization , debris conveyance and umbilical rigidity . each segment or portion of the umbilical 2110 may also employ an electro - viscous material which can be individually actuated . an electro - viscous material is one which changes its viscosity when an electric current is passed through it . these may also be compartmentalized with a flexible skin or in separate segments 2110 . then , sections / portions may be operated to have selected rigidity allowing the umbilical to be pushed or pulled through the borehole 5 . the electro - viscous compartments are also considered umbilical actuators 2100 . therefore , actuation of the umbilical actuators 2100 is implemented as a small implementation of umbilical actuators 2100 for a plurality of segments 2100 in three dimensions . similarly , resulting stiffness at the end of umbilical subsystem 2000 is a function of the stiffness of each segment over the length of the umbilical . similarly , the actual 3 - dimensional location of the end of the umbilical 2000 is the summation of the individual locations from the individual umbilical sensors 2810 of each segment , integrated over the segments of the umbilical . therefore , actuation of the umbilical 2000 must take these conditions into account to move the end to the proper location , or maintain the proper stiffness of the umbilical 2000 over a given section of its length . the umbilical sensors 2810 will monitor the state of actuators , position , orientation , velocity , acceleration , inclination , pressure , stress , strain , vibration , fluid 7 flow through fluid conduit 2900 , flow through exhaust conduit 2500 , umbilical rigidity and integrity . they may also monitor chemical and radioactive characteristics of the ground . the components of the sensors and actuators will be designed to withstand high temperatures and other harsh environments . fig7 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a boring subsystem 3000 according to the present invention . the end of the boring subsystem 3000 is a boring head 3200 containing ten to twenty pulsejets 3100 . the boring subsystem 3000 employs elements as described in the “ cross reference to related applications ”, above with any additional elements and functionality described herein . pulsejets 3100 receive energetic fluid 7 , and cause the fluid to create a rapidly expanding bubble forcing portions of the fluid out of a nozzle 3260 at high speeds as a plurality of fluid slugs 10 . since the fluid used is highly incompressible , the impact of slugs 10 bores through rock and earth . a boring body 3300 behind boring head 3200 protects and houses a pulse controller 3330 for causing the ignition of the energetic fluid 7 . it also encloses a sensor package 3320 , for sensing physical properties related to the boring subsystem 3000 . this sensor package 3320 will include monitoring and analysis of telemetry from sensors in the boring head 3300 and umbilical 2000 to determine the type of material the boring head 3300 is boring through , has bored through , or is about to bore through ( the “ geology ”). the sensors package 3320 may include static / dynamic accelerometers , geophones , and gyros will sense conditions around and ahead of the boring head 3200 . they may sense state of actuators , position , orientation , velocity , acceleration , inclination , pressure , stress , strain , vibration , chemical and radioactive characteristics . the sensor package 3320 will provide information to computer control 3310 which will adjust the course by controlling and adjustment of pulsejet 3100 firing frequency , sequence and intensity . computer control 3310 will also calculate these parameters for steering and forward progress optimization . computer control 3310 will provide real - time solutions to control of the mechanical performance of umbilical 2000 by selectively energizing of electro - viscous umbilical actuators 2100 throughout the length and circumference of umbilical 2000 . computer control 3310 and pulse controller 3330 determine when to ignite the energetic fluid 7 . pulse controller 3330 causes an ignition device 3240 to ignite energetic fluid 7 in a combustion chamber 3230 at the proper instant to cause a slug 10 to be formed and fired out of nozzle 3260 . computer control unit 3310 will also calculate when nozzle 3260 encounters target 1 . by sensing physical parameters through sensor package 3320 , computer control unit 3310 can detect voids , fluids , etc . in the ground near boring head 3200 . this may be based upon the rate of penetration and applied pressures . computer control unit 3310 will receive data from the sensors in sensor package 3320 and potentially interact with computing device 1910 of platform 1000 ( of fig1 ) to determine the direction which to bore to most effectively reach target 1 ( of fig1 ). the control of boring subsystem 300 q steering it toward target 1 is more fully explained in co - pending patent application entitled “ multiple pulsejet earth boring device ” hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in its entirety herein . referring now to fig1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 , initial imaging of the target could be attained by some external underground imaging system and stored in ground unit 100 for later use . for example , seismic sensors having built in telemetry transmitters are dropped onto the ground ( shown as seismic sensors 1810 of fig1 ). a small explosion is created to cause vibrations in the ground . the sensors detect the vibrations and radio the sensed signal back to the ground units 100 , 4000 , 5000 and / or central command unit 6000 . the present invention may also use its own active seismic sources ( 1820 of fig1 ) to determine the location , depth , and rock properties ( structure and seismic velocities ) of the target ( 1 of fig1 ). in one embodiment of the present invention , each land unit [ 100 , 4000 , 5000 is initialized with an initial target 1 and an initial region to image . the imaging system would consist of a seismic source 1820 and seismic sensors 1810 located on platform 1000 ( of fig1 ). umbilical sensors 2810 may be attached to umbilical subsystem 2000 which may also act as seismic sensors . a sensor package 3100 in boring subsystem 3000 may also include the seismic sensors . computing device ( 1910 of fig2 ) receives the sensor output , either by hard wire , or via telemetry . computing device ( 1910 of fig2 ) then creates an underground image showing the target and other underground features . computing device 1910 also monitors sensors on boring subsystem 3000 and umbilical subsystem 2000 and superimposes their locations on the underground image . each of the land units employs a communication unit 1030 as shown in fig2 . these units are capable of communicating with each other and central command unit . communications units 1030 allow communication of data relating to commands , sensor readings , inter - computer communication as well as voice and sounds . each communication unit 1030 is connected to computing unit 1910 in each land unit ( 100 , 4000 , 5000 of fig1 ) allowing communication of any information of computing unit 1910 . it is also connected to the data cables 2600 permeating the system allowing direct communication with lower level devices such as actuators and sensors . therefore , readings from sensors may be directly communicated to central command 6000 . also , commands may be directly sent to each actuator . some decision capabilities will reside in the underground portion of the system . intelligence may be distributed in system components such as computer control 3330 and valve timing 3220 to measure data , analyze data and interpret results . responses should include activating other systems in response . referring now to fig2 , any computing system may break up functions to be performed and allocate them to various computing devices . there may be dedicated computing devices for each of the functions , or a main computing device may perform all of the computing functions . it is understood that this invention covers various arrangements in which the functions are allocated between the computing devices . for example , it has been described here and in the patent applications listed in “ cross reference to related applications ” that a computer control 3310 provides a rate to pulse controller 3330 at which a pulsejet ( 3100 of fig7 ) is to be fired . the pulse controller 3330 then monitors the time which has passed since the last ignition and provides a command to the igniter at the proper time to cause the ignition . pulse controller 3330 then continuously repeats this function . computer control 3310 has delegated this function to the dedicated pulse controller 3330 . the system could have also been designed such that computer control 3310 counted down the time and sent the ignition command to the ignition device 3240 by itself , eliminating the pulse controller 3330 . therefore , the computing device 1910 is running the system and delegating out several functions to dedicated computing devices . referring now to fig1 , the present invention as generally described above , operates in a mixed mode in which each land unit 100 , 4000 , 5000 performs its programmed tasks autonomously , but may be adjusted or overridden by the central command unit 6000 . in this mode , operation of the land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 can be adjusted or overridden by the central command unit 6000 . this may be done by sending a command from the central command unit 6000 to the computing device 1910 causing it to modify its command or providing sensor readings . central command unit 6000 may also directly send commands to the actuators to modify , cancel , or replace commands from the computing device 1910 and read sensor readings directly from land unit 100 , 4000 , 5000 sensors . the land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 may operate in a “ remote mode ”. in this mode , land units are placed under the direct control of robots of central command unit 6000 . fig8 is a simplified block diagram of the central command unit of fig1 . information from land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 are communicated to central command unit 6000 . central command unit 6000 may have one or more control stations 6100 , 6200 , 6300 and 6400 . a control station 6100 is shown in greater detail . communications unit 6130 is coupled to a central processing unit ( cpu ) 6110 . cpu 6110 is coupled to at least one monitor 6150 for displaying images to user . cpu 6110 also has input devices which may be joysticks 6170 , keyboards 6190 and various other known input devices allowing the users to interact with cpu 6110 . in its operation , any information which can be sensed by sensors on land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 can be directed to users at control stations 6100 - 6400 . this information may be presented to the users in the form of audio , video , text , graphic or other means . users then select and operate any of the systems on land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 to remotely actuate them . as discussed elsewhere in this application , users at central command unit 6000 can sense information from devices having the highest intelligence level through the lowest intelligence level on land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 . for example , central command unit 6000 may monitor the functioning of the high level computing device 1910 down to the low level ignition device 3240 both of fig2 . similarly , users at the central command unit 6000 can also actuate systems from the highest level of intelligence to lowest level of intelligence to perform desired duties . for example , central command unit 6000 can request that computing device 1910 turn boring head 3200 ten degrees to one side relative to its current position . alternatively , central command unit 6000 may directly calculate and direct the low level ignition firings of the individual ignition device 3240 to cause boring head 3200 to turn ten degrees to one side relative to its current position . central command unit 6000 can therefore operate any and all systems of the land units as remote robots allowing them to perform as much , or as little of the processing as desired . central command unit 6000 also has the capabilities to collect data not only from all of the land units , but from telemetry sensors and other control bases , which may be air , or land based . this is shown as the “ network ”. central command may therefore create images using data from a number of land units and other sources . central command unit also knows the tasks which each land unit is trying to perform . central command unit may also determine which land units are disabled and destroyed . this becomes important in the reallocation section below . referring again to fig2 , sensor data is sent from communications unit 1030 to central command unit 6000 in this remote mode . the sensor data providing images and readings indicating to the remote operator the location , position , orientation , temperature , stresses , strains , forces , tank volumes and other relevant status information . communications device 1030 receives the transmitted commands and passes them to ether the computing unit 1910 or to data cables 2600 and ultimately to the proper actuator , based upon the preference of the user at the central command unit 6000 . referring to fig1 , in the auto mode , all of the functions of the land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 are self - directed and under the control of computing device 1910 of each land unit . this mode does not require any outside commands or control . it also only relies upon it own stored or acquired imagery and does not ‘ see ’ what the other land units see . it has its advantages in that it cannot be tricked by other entities trying to control the unit or set it on an incorrect course . also , this may be the only mode in which the land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 can operate if its communications unit 1030 is destroyed or malfunctioning . this also may be the only mode that it can operate if it is in an inaccessible area and cannot receive communications from other land units or central command unit 6000 . referring now to fig1 , there is communication between the central control unit 6000 and the land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 in both the mixed mode and the remote mode . therefore , in these modes , the central command unit 6000 periodically assesses which land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 are functional . the central command unit 6000 runs a quick health check to determine which are still functional (“ live ”). the central control unit 6000 determines inoperable land units . the central command unit 6000 then reallocates the tasks of inoperable land units 5000 to those which are operable 100 , 4000 to ensure that all the tasks will be completed . just as described in the override function above , remote tests of functionality may be performed at various levels of system intelligence . for example , the ignition devices may be individually and directly checked as a low - level test . similarly , tests may be requested from computing device 1910 which is capable of running tests of lower level equipment and reports the results of the tests to central command 6000 . their locations and functional abilities are acquired . some land units may have tracks giving them the ability to crawl on the ground , others may be able to ford streams , etc . the locations of known geographic features such as rivers , streams , lakes , ponds , mountains , cliffs , forests , etc . are also acquired . based upon the locations of the live units , their abilities and the geographic features , the central command unit 6000 re - allocates regions to be imaged , and targets to bore toward , as well as other related instructions . if communications with central command unit 6000 is inoperable , such as in the case of rf interference or cross - talk , the land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 will default to the auto mode and continue to execute their last programmed instructions . in military applications , the communication channels may be intentionally jammed or another entity may be transmitting false or misleading information . in auto mode , there would be no reallocation of assignments by the central command unit 6000 . however , if several land units 100 , 4000 , 5000 are able to communicate with each other , they can reallocate tasks by themselves . in auto mode reorganization , each of the land units transmits their health status and their location to the others . each keeps track of this information and the signal strength of the land unit &# 39 ; s communication and based upon these factors , votes to determine a master . the master may be determined from the remaining active land units in a random nature by land unit number . the master may be determined by the land unit with the best communication with the most other live units . it may also be determined by indicating the one having the most complete data set . it may be the one with the fastest processing speed . the master then allocates tasks to the remaining land units . in another alternative embodiment , there is no master , but the units interact as peers to correctly allocate tasks . in this case , each of the land unit may have all of the information of the system and each constantly updates the others as new information is acquired . the present invention coordinates a plurality of land units to quickly locate and provide an access hole to one or more underground targets . these may be located in areas that are inaccessible to humans , due to the danger or hazardous environment . the present invention will function more quickly and accurately than the prior art devices . since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating requirements and environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art , the invention is not considered limited to the example chosen for the purposes of disclosure , and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention . | 4 |
it should be understood that these embodiments are only examples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein . in general , statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily limit any of the various claimed inventions . moreover , some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others . in general , unless otherwise indicated , singular elements may be in the plural and vice versa with no loss of generality . in the drawing like numerals refer to like parts through several views . the present invention , according to a preferred embodiment , overcomes problems with the prior art by providing an efficient and simple mold - manufacturing method for fabricating a three dimensional object from a variety of materials including an elastic foam material covered in a graphic - printed polyester material . the present invention further solves problems with the prior art by providing a mold - manufacturing method that does not require the use of liquids or other difficult - to - use materials . the use of elastic materials such as ethylene vinyl acetate ( eva ) allows the present invention to provide a manufacturing method that eliminates the need for materials such as rubber and plastic that must be melted in order to mold them . further , the present invention solves problems with the prior art by providing method for manufacturing a three - dimensional object that is elastic and non - rigid . this allows the manufacturer to provide a product that is versatile in its use . lastly , the present invention improves over the prior art by reducing or eliminating distortion of the printed image on the manufactured product during the deformation process . thus , the silk screen and / or lithographic designs printed on the final product are produced with a minimum of labor in predicting and accounting for distortion in the printed design itself . that is , the present invention allows the finished product to accurately bear the desired art work in a non - labor - intensive manner . fig1 is an illustration of a block of elastic material 1 prepared for the manufacturing process , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the block of elastic material 1 may comprise a substantial thickness so as to allow for the molding process , such as thermoforming . the elastic material may be a polymer , an elastic foam material , ethylene vinyl acetate ( eva ), expanded rubber , foam rubber , any combination of the above or the like . block of elastic material 1 may include one or more layers of elastic material that may be combined with other materials or layers of other types . fig2 is an illustration of the process for applying one or more layers of fabric 3 to the block of elastic material 1 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the fabric 3 may comprise a natural fabric such as cotton , a synthetic fabric such as polyester or any combination of the two . the fabric 3 may also be woven or non - woven . the process of fig2 may commence with the disposition of an adhesive 2 on the top surface of the elastic material 1 so as to secure the fabric 3 to the elastic material 1 . heat may also be applied so as to secure the fabric 3 to the elastic material 1 . in one embodiment , a roll of fabric 3 is unrolled over the top surface of the elastic material 1 so as to cover the top surface of the elastic material 1 with the fabric 3 . next , any extra fabric 3 extending over the edges of the top surface of the elastic material 1 is removed , such as by cutting with a knife 4 or other means for cutting the fabric 3 . the result of this step is that the fabric 3 extends solely coextensively over the top surface of the elastic material 1 ( se the right - most configuration of fig2 ). fig3 is an illustration of the process for applying a graphic 5 to the layer of fabric 3 on the block of elastic material 1 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in this step , a design or graphic image 5 is printed onto the outward facing side of the fabric 3 . in one embodiment , one or more silkscreen stencils 6 are applied to the outward facing side of the fabric 3 and one or more silkscreen printable materials ( such as ink or plastisol ) are applied to the fabric so as to print a design or graphic image 5 onto the outward facing side of the fabric 3 . in another embodiment of the present invention , the design or graphic image 5 is printed onto the outward facing side of the fabric 3 using other types of printing technology , such as inkjet printing , letterpress printing , flexographic printing , lithographic printing , digital printing , and offset printing . in another embodiment of the present invention , the image 5 is placed onto the outward facing side of the fabric 3 using other types of technology such as embroidery . fig4 is an illustration of the process for setting the design or graphic image 5 printed on the layer of fabric 3 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in this step , heat may be applied to elastic material 1 and fabric 3 via an oven or stove 7 so as to set the print or ink comprising the image 5 on the fabric 3 . in one embodiment of this step , heat is applied by oven or stove 7 only to the extent necessary to substantially set the print on the layer of fabric 3 . fig5 is an illustration of the process for applying a mold 8 to the block of elastic material 1 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . mold 8 comprises a negative cavity ( not shown , since it is facing downwards in fig5 ) that holds a desired shape . in the example of fig5 - 7 , the negative cavity of mold 8 holds the shape of the bottom half of a car . in this step , the cavity portion of the mold 8 is pressed against the outward facing surface of fabric 3 and the elastic material 1 using machine press 9 ( such as a stamping press ), such that a three - dimensional object 10 having an open end is produced . specifically a three - dimensional object representing the bottom half of a car is produced . heat may be applied during the molding step to form the elastic material 1 and / or allow it to set into the desired three - dimensional shape 10 . subsequently , extra material protruding from the brim of the open end of the three - dimensional shape 10 is trimmed , such as with a knife 11 . in one embodiment , thermoforming is used to execute the molding process described with respect to fig5 above . thermoforming is a manufacturing process for a thermoplastic sheet or film , such as elastic material 1 . the sheet or film is heated between infrared , natural gas , or other heaters to its forming temperature . then it is stretched over or into a temperature - controlled , single - surface mold . the sheet is held against the mold surface unit until cooled . the formed part is then trimmed from the sheet . the trimmed material is usually reground , mixed with virgin plastic , and reprocessed into a usable sheet . there are several categories of thermoforming , including vacuum forming , pressure forming , twin - sheet forming , drape forming , free blowing , and simple sheet bending . with regard to the vacuum - forming process , one may cause a heat - treated sheet of thermoplastic to be sucked against a die in skin - tight conforming relation , and then cooled in that position . once the plastic has been deformed to the desired three - dimensional shape , it may be removed from the die that was used to deform the plastic , and trimmed . fig6 is an illustration of the process for coupling one three - dimensional object 10 with another , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . fig6 shows that another three - dimensional object 12 having an open end is produced using the same process as described above . specifically , a three - dimensional object 12 representing the top portion of a car is produced . note the brim of the open end of the three - dimensional shape 10 is equivalent , or matches up with , the open end of the three - dimensional shape 12 . glue or another adhesive may be applied to the brim of the open end of the three - dimensional shape 10 and / or the brim of the open end of the three - dimensional shape 12 . i another embodiment , stitching may be used to combine the open end of the three - dimensional shape 10 with the brim of the open end of the three - dimensional shape 12 . thereafter , the brim of the open end of the three - dimensional shape 10 may be coupled with the brim of the open end of the three - dimensional shape 12 so as to create the three - dimensional object 13 of fig7 . fig8 is an illustration of the final product 13 resulting from coupling one three - dimensional object with another , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . fig8 shows that the manufacturing process of the present invention has produced the three - dimensional shape 10 and the three - dimensional shape 12 . fig8 shows that the brim of the open end of the three - dimensional shape 10 may be coupled with one side of a zipper “ z ,” while the brim of the open end of the three - dimensional shape 12 may be coupled with the other side of the zipper “ z ,” so as to create the three - dimensional object 13 , shown in fig9 , which may be a purse , lunchbox or the like . slider elements “ f ” are used to open or close the zipper “ z .” fig1 is an illustration of a perspective view of the product 13 of fig8 and fig9 . fig1 shows that product 13 may be a lunchbox , purse , bag or luggage item shaped like a car tire and having a car tire graphic imprinted upon its exterior . fig1 also shows that a strap or other carrying accessory “ a ” may be attached to the product 13 . although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed , those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the scope of the invention is not to be restricted , therefore , to the specific embodiments . furthermore , it is intended that the appended claims cover any and all such applications , modifications , and embodiments within the scope of the present invention . | 8 |
reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout . as illustrated in fig1 and 3 , a first embodiment of the present invention relates to spur roller gear bearings . referring to fig1 spur roller gear bearings consist of a spur gear 10 which has a roller 12 coaxially mounted on its top . spur gear teeth 14 extend radially from spur gear 10 , and have a pitch radius r 1 . the radius of the roller r 2 is equal to the pitch radius r 1 of the spur gear teeth . the tops of the spur gear teeth 14 form a crown 16 . the radius to the crown top r 3 is equal to the pitch radius and the roller radius . since r 1 , r 2 and r 3 are equal , the points at these radii move at the same speed . referring now to fig2 a , we see that spur gears 10 can be configured with a ring gear 18 formed of ring gear teeth 24 to form planetary system 20 . planet spur gears 10 b revolve around sun spur gear 10 a . since spur gears 10 a , b are identical in size , the speed at r 1 , r 2 , and r 3 is identical for each spur gear 10 a , b . the crown 16 of each planet spur gear 10 b interfaces with the roller 12 of a sun spur gear 10 a , and vice versa . the teeth 14 b of each planet gear 10 b also interface with the teeth 14 a of the sun gear 10 a . specifically , the teeth 14 a , b contact each other at pitch radius r 1 . referring to fig2 b , which is a cross - section of the planetary system 20 of fig2 a , we see that a ring roller 22 is coaxially mounted on the top of the ring gear 18 such that the diameter of the ring roller 18 is set equal to the pitch diameter of the ring gear teeth 24 . the tops of the ring gear teeth 24 are crowned at ( not shown ) the point where they interface with the spur gear teeth 14 b . this planetary system 20 is held together without further structures . as can be seen from fig2 a and 2b , if a planet spur gear 10 b is pushed down , its teeth 14 b will slide with respect to ring gear 18 and the sun spur gear teeth 14 a , but the planet spur gear roller 12 b will be blocked by the upper surface of the ring gear teeth 24 . if planet spur gear 10 b is pushed upwards , the ring roller 22 will block the upper surface of the planet spur gear teeth 14 b . if the sun spur gear 10 a is pushed down , sun spur gear roller 12 a will be blocked by the upper surface of each of the three planet spur gears 10 b , so that the planet spur gears 10 b will likewise be pushed down . however , planet spur gears 10 b will each , in turn , be blocked by the ring gear 18 so , ultimately , the sun spur gear 10 a cannot be pushed down . likewise , the sun spur gear 10 a cannot be pulled up . [ 0047 ] fig3 a , 3b and 3 c further illustrate how gears 10 a , 10 b , 18 interact with each other . fig3 a shows spur gears 10 interacting with other spur gears , illustrating the case where the sun spur gears 10 a are interacting with the planet spur gears 10 b . the teeth 14 a of sun spur gear 10 a contact the teeth 14 b of planet spur gear 10 b at point c 1 . the teeth 14 b of planet spur gear 10 b contact the roller 12 a of sun spur gear 10 a at point c 2 . fig3 b shows planet spur gears 10 b interacting with ring gear 18 . the ring gear teeth 24 contact the spur gear teeth 14 b at point c 3 . fig3 a and 3b show that the spur gear on spur gear case is essentially the same as the spur gear on ring gear case in terms of matching speeds for both the roll and gear surfaces . spur roller 12 b contacts ring roller 22 at point c 4 , and spur gear teeth 14 b contact ring roller surface 22 at point c 5 . fig3 c shows that by crowning the tops of the spur gear 10 with the apogee of the crown 16 at the same radial distance as the roller and tooth pitch radii , ( r 1 , r 2 ) that thrust bearing contact must occur at the apogee point and so speed matching can be achieved for simultaneous and / or individual contacts between interfacing rollers , gear teeth and thrust bearing tooth tops / roller bottoms . this means , a planetary roller gear system will perform with great efficiency and strength . furthermore , the addition of the rollers must , inevitably , greatly improve the accuracy with which the gears mesh . the rollers precisely set gear locations with respect to each other . on the other hand , the gears act as a highly efficient and precise caging / carrier mechanism for the rollers . the cumulative result is a superior system that is also very simple and low cost . turning now to fig4 and 6 , we discuss the second embodiment of the present invention , which involves phase - shifted gear bearings . fig4 illustrates a phase - shifted spur gear 26 for use in phase - shifted gear bearings . phase - shifted spur gear 26 includes an upper gear half 28 comprising upper gear teeth 30 , and a lower gear half 32 comprising lower gear teeth 34 . upper gaps 36 and lower gaps 38 are formed between the gear teeth 32 , 34 . upper gear half 28 is rotated with respect to lower gear half 32 so that the two halves are exactly out of phase with respect to each other . that is , upper gear teeth 30 are positioned above lower gaps 38 , and lower gear teeth 34 are positioned below upper gaps 36 . thus , phase - shifted spur gear 26 could mesh with a phase - shifted gear just like it . as one gear turned and drove the other , both halves would be continuously contacting each other but , in different phases of contact . in fig4 the lower gear teeth 34 are bevelled and extended slightly between the upper gear teeth 30 . the upper gear teeth 30 are bevelled and slightly extended between the lower gear teeth 34 for both phase - shifted spur gears . thus , the bevelled tooth surfaces contact each other much in the same manner as a four - way thrust bearing , and gear teeth 30 , 34 contact each other and engage in conventional spur gear motion . the two motions can be timed so as to maximize efficiency , strength and smoothness . referring now to fig5 a and 5b , we see that phase - shifted spur gears 26 can be configured with a ring gear 40 , having upper ring gear teeth 44 and lower ring gear teeth 46 , to form a planetary system 42 , much like the system shown in fig2 a and 2b . the planetary system 42 stays together in a similar manner to planetary system 20 of fig2 a , 2b . [ 0050 ] fig6 a and 6b further illustrate how phase - shifted spur gears 26 interact with each other . fig6 a particularly illustrates upper gear teeth 30 of one phase - shifted spur gear 26 contacting lower gear teeth 34 of a second phase - shifted spur gear 26 at contact point c 6 . fig6 b , 6c and 6 d further illustrate contact points c 7 , where upper gear teeth 30 of the phase - shifted spur gears 26 contact ; and contact points c 8 , where lower gear teeth 34 contact . fig6 c is an edge view of fig6 a . [ 0051 ] fig7 a and 7b illustrate how phase - shifted spur gears 26 interact with ring gear 40 . fig7 a particularly illustrates upper ring gear teeth 44 contacting lower gear teeth 34 of phase - shifted spur gear 26 at point c 9 . fig7 b , 7c and 7 d further illustrate contact points c 10 , where the upper gear teeth 30 of the spur gear contact the upper ring gear teeth 44 ; and contact points c 11 , where lower gear teeth 34 contact the lower ring gear teeth . ( not shown ) [ 0052 ] fig8 a and 8b illustrate the third embodiment of the present invention , namely , helical gear bearings , in which spur gear 26 is replaced by a helical ( or herring bone ) gear 48 . the same timing issues and geometries that worked for the phase - shifted spur gear 26 apply in this embodiment . although , fig8 a and 8b show the case of phase - shifted helical gear bearings , a conventional roller gear bearing with helical teeth is also possible . fig8 b illustrates a peeled open edge view of upper helical teeth 50 and lower helical teeth 52 . the number of variations on the gear bearing arrangement of the present invention are endless , but only two will be discussed here . fig9 and 10 illustrate planetary transmissions using roller gear bearing and phase - shifted gear bearings , respectively . these planetary transmissions are fixed mechanical advantage transmissions which show great promise in being strong , compact , very efficient , carrierless , simple and capable of great speed reduction . the two concepts are functionally very similar , thus the explanation for roller gear bearings can easily be extended to the phase - shifted case . the roller gear bearing planetary transmission generally operates as follows . the transmission 54 comprises an input system 56 and an output system 58 . input system 56 comprises input sun roller gear 60 , input roller gear planets 62 and ground ring roller gear 64 . output system 58 comprises output roller gear planets 66 , output roller gear sun 68 and output ring roller gear 70 . the planets 62 , 66 of both systems 56 , 58 are axially joined together and thus , have the same angular velocity and must orbit about the center of the transmission 54 at the same angular velocity . the input sun roller gear 60 drives the input roller gear planets 62 which , in turn , react against the ground ring roller gear 64 by rotating at some angular velocity and orbiting about the center of transmission 54 at some orbital angular velocity . thus , the orbital angular velocity and the rotational angular velocity for the planets 62 , 66 are set . however , the output roller gear planets 66 have a different tooth pitch diameter than the input roller gear planets 62 . thus , the output ring roller gear 70 has a different speed than the ground ring roller gear 64 and the transmission 54 exhibits speed reduction . the output roller gear sun 68 is in place primarily to provide strength and rigidity to transmission 54 , keeping the output system 58 together with strength and precision just as the output sun roller gear sun 68 does for input system 56 . thus , the two systems 56 , 58 are independantly strong and rigid and the combined system is even stronger . we will now derive the transfer function for the transmission 54 and , in so doing obtain further understanding of how it works . ( r s + 2 r pi ) θ or = r pi θ pi ( 3 ) taking the time derivative of both sides of eq . ( 3 ) we get : ( r s + 2 p pi ) δθ - or δτ = r pi δθ pi _ δτ ( 4 ) δ θ or δτ = ω or ( 5 ) δ θ pi δτ = ω pi - ω po = ω p ( 6 ) eqs . ( 4 ), ( 5 ) and ( 6 ) come from the basic definition of angular velocity and from the fact that a planet must have a single angular velocity for both the input and output interfaces and establish the relationship between ω p and ω or . ω p r pi r o ( r s + 2 r pi ) - ω p r po = ω o r o ( 7 ) ω p r pi r s ( r s + 2 r pi ) + ω p r pi = ω s r s ( 8 ) esq . ( 7 ) and ( 8 ) come from substituting for ω or . ω s r s ω o r o = r pi r o + r pi ( r s + 2 r pi ) r pi r o - r po ( r s + 2 r pi ) ( 9 ) ω s - ω o = ( r o ) [ 2 ( r pi ) 2 + r pi ( r o + r s ) r s [ r pi r o - r po ( r s + 2 r pi ) ] ( 10 ) ω s ω o = ( r o ) [ 2 ( r pi ) 2 + r pi ( r o + r s ) r s [ r pi ( r o - 2 r po ) - r po r s ] ( 11 ) ω s ω o = - 117 t o t i = - 99 . 5 ( say - 100 ) ω s ω o = - 117 t o t i = - 99 . 5 ( say - 100 ) an estimate that the transmission can withstand 60 ft - lb output torque is derived as follows : the largest stress will be on the planet teeth that push off against the ground ring roller gear 64 . this is because the lower planet radius is slightly smaller than the upper planet radius and because it will take slightly more load . assuming 20 teeth in the planet . 1 . 024945 e3 lbs ( . 770 in . ) 12 in . / ft . = 65 ft . / lbs . e 3 (. 6 ) (. 25 in . )= max allowable shear load per tooth = 342 lbs . ( π2 r pi l ) 58 e 3 ( . 6 ) ( . 25 in . ) 40 = max allowable shear load per tooth = 342 lbs . assembly of transmission 54 will now be discussed . to assemble transmission 54 , the roller portions of the planets 62 , 66 are positioned in output ring roller gear 70 . the roller of input sun roller gear 60 is then positioned in the arrangement . the other planet gear teeth cylinders 72 are then tightly fit over each of the bottom roller portions of the planets 62 , 66 and , at the same time , meshed with the teeth of the output ring roller gear 70 . the input sun roller gear teeth cylinder 73 is then tightly fit over the roller of the input sun roller gear 60 , meshed with the teeth of the planets 62 , 66 and fastened in place with an assembly screw . the ground ring roller gear 64 is then slipped in place , its teeth meshing with the teeth of the planets 62 , 66 as it goes . next , input sun roller gear 60 is slipped into place , its teeth meshing with those of the planets 62 , 66 as it goes . the three bottom portions of the planet rollers are each then fit tightly into their respective planet gear teeth cylinders and splined into the roller portion of the planet already in place . then , each of the planets 62 , 66 is finalized in its assembly with a fastening screw . the entire transmission 54 is now assembled , aligned and ready to function . disassembly is accomplished by reversing the steps . it should be noted that if the output roller gear sun 68 can be manufactured in a single piece , and the assembly / disassembly process can proceed , essentially unchanged . referring to fig1 , we see a sectional view of a planetary transmission 82 using phase - shifted gear bearings . the phase shifted gear bearing transmission 82 has a similar structure to roller gear bearing transmission 54 . however , the corresponding input and output sun and planet gears , as well as the ring gear , comprise phase - shifted gear bearings as opposed to roller gear bearings . the assembly / disassembly process for the phase - shifted gear bearing transmission of fig1 is essentially identical to that described with respect to the transmission 54 of fig9 . the present gear bearing can also be used to improve electric motors . fig1 is a sectional view of an existing electric motor 90 , requiring two sets of ball bearings 92 , which separate armature 94 from stator 96 . the armature 94 includes permanent magnet 95 , and the stator 96 includes coils 97 . the ball bearings 92 also allow the armature 94 to rotate with respect to the stator 96 , typically by using the weak forces of electric motors . the motor 90 further includes a motor mount screw 98 , and an output drive 99 . [ 0092 ] fig1 is a sectional view of an electric motor 100 using the gear bearings of the present invention . motor 100 is similar to the existing motor design in that it includes armature 104 , including permanent magnets 105 , stator 106 , including coils 107 , and motor mount screw 108 . these elements form a housing 110 . motor 100 also comprises an output 112 , including an output screw 109 . instead of using ball bearings , motor 100 has sun gear bearing 114 , a gear bearing transmission 120 , comprising a sun gear bearing which drives plant gear bearings 116 , which in turn drive the output 112 . an idler 118 acts as a stiffener and is placed between planet gear bearings 116 . the gear bearing transmission 120 results in a smaller , simpler design , that is easier to assemble as compared to the existing ball bearing design . although a few preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention , the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents . | 5 |
by way of example , the following description of the invention relates to its application as a glucose monitor . it should be understood that this is merely one application among an extensive list of applications of which the invention is capable . referring first to fig1 , there is shown a first embodiment of the present invention , adapted for glucose determination / monitoring , illustrated by a wrist watch or wristlet comprising three types of sensors : pulse - wave sensors 6 a and 6 b , biocompatible electrodes 7 , and additional biocompatible electrodes 8 a and 8 b for detecting perspiration and estimating the acidity thereof . the device comprises the following electronics : a keyboard 1 , a body 2 with a display 3 and an electronic block 4 . the keyboard 1 is supplied with a connector 5 to allow connection of a programmed cartridge , for example a home computer , cellular phone , palm - sized electronic notebook , etc ( not shown ). the body 2 incorporates the pulse - wave sensors 6 a and 6 b , biocompatible electrodes 7 , and additional biocompatible electrodes 8 a and 8 b . electronic block 4 is supplied with an antenna 9 and a connector 10 for transferring data and / or an alarm signal through an external transmission - connection unit ( not shown ), ( e . g . telephone line , fax , the internet ) for sending such data to a physician . the device also includes two thermometers 11 a and 11 b for measuring the patient &# 39 ; s skin and the surrounding temperature , respectively , and a 3 - dimensional accelerometer 12 for measuring motion intensity or physical activity of the hand ( not seen ). fig2 is a block diagram of the components of the device including the operative connections between those components . the two pulse - wave sensors 6 a and 6 b ( pws 1 and pws 2 ), which are connected to a microprocessor ( mp 6 ). three electrodes 7 ( el_ 1 , el_ 2 and el_ 3 ), where electrodes el_ 1 , el_ 2 are electrochemically connected to electrode el_ 3 , which is a reference electrode ( not seen in fig1 as it is inside the electronic block 4 ). the three electrodes 7 ( el_ 1 , el_ 2 and el_ 3 ) are connected to three voltmeters v 2 , v 3 and v 4 , respectively . in order to measure dc and ac voltages it is necessary to use the two separate voltmeters . therefore the signal from the el_ 1 goes to v 1 to measure acidity , to v 2 to measure dc and to v 3 to measure ac . the two perspiration measuring electrodes 8 a and 8 b ( adel_ 1 and adel_ 2 ), which are each connected with a voltmeter ( v 1 , v 2 ) [ reference #&# 39 ; s ? ], respectively ; the 3 - dimensional accelerometer 12 ( acc ). two thermometers 11 a and 11 b ( t - 1 and t - 2 ) for measuring skin and surrounding temperature , respectively . four microprocessors ( mp 1 , mp 2 , mp 3 , mp 4 ); and the programmed microprocessor mp 6 connected to the keyboard 1 ; and a processor , mp 5 , with memory m connected thereto ; and having a charge - connector unit and alarm system . note , the voltmeters and microprocessors referred to herein are not seen in fig1 and so are not given reference numerals ( merely labels as seen in fig2 ), however , they are located within the electronic block 4 . the microprocessor mp 1 is connected with pws 1 and it analyzes pulse - wave spectral characteristics using a standard mathematical software program package ( e . g . matlab or other software ). the microprocessor mp 2 is connected to pws 1 , pws 2 and a timer / clock , and it measures a pulse wave propagation velocity and heart rate . the microprocessor mp 4 is connected to pws 2 and it analyzes a pulse wave spectrum , for example using matlab . the above microprocessors mp 1 , mp 2 and mp 4 are connected with a programmed microprocessor mp 5 having a display . the potential difference between electrodes 8 a and 8 b ( adel - 1 and adel - 2 ) is proportional to the perspiration &# 39 ; s acidity . with reference to fig3 , the principles of pulse wave measurements use the following principles : 1 . the rate of movement of the blood can be estimated by the rate of pulse wave propagation between sensors 6 a and 6 b . 2 . the blood flow is proportional to the cross - section of arteries and the velocity of the blood . 3 . blood viscosity affects the shape of the pulse waves , the rate of their propagation and the pulse wave spectrum . the following data are supplied to the programmed microprocessors from the various sensors : for calibration purposes , the first data are compared in the programmed microprocessor mp 5 with parameters ( i . e . glucose level , blood pressure , heart rate , etc .) that were recorded in the processor &# 39 ; s memory m during an oral glucose tolerance test ( ogtt ) and / or during an electrocardiogram ( ecg ) stress test . the results of such a calibration are input into an individual “ mathematical model ” resulting from an individual calibration with neural network software . similar neural network software is used to estimate the following important parameters : the programmed microprocessor mp 5 displays selected parameters on the display 3 . it is connected with a processor p that can produce an alarm if selected parameters are beyond predetermined limits , which depend on the rate of change of the parameters . the alarm ( and parameters ) may be transmitted through a cellular telephone or other means of communication . all of the parameters are periodically recorded in the memory m in case any deviations , for example , they may be transmitted daily into the computer of a physician , medical center , clinic , etc , through a separate charge - connection unit . preliminary examination of the other components of the device consisted of checking pulse - wave and bio - electricity diagnostics . the above - described theoretical basis of such diagnostics is explained with reference to fig4 - 6 . data for fig4 and 5 were generated from the michaelis - menten equation and the data for fig6 were generated from the lipman equation and electro - capillary curves . the change of the rate of cellular glucose absorption as a function of the blood glucose level at a range of insulin levels ( picomoles / ml ) is shown in fig4 . the rate of glucose absorption depends on glucose and insulin blood level . as seen , the maximal rate of glucose absorption is typically in a bgl range of 65 to 115 mg / dl , which corresponds to the maximal stability of the glucose level and more particularly to the maximal motion force and rate of return to equilibrium ( as seen in fig5 .). the dominant parameter of any living system is metabolism , which includes in particular the equilibrium between carbohydrate metabolism and oxygen / carbon dioxide use and production . fig6 shows the function of gibbs energy of healthy cells ( indicated by diamond symbols ) and cancer cells ( indicated by square symbols ). the relative gibbs energy is relative to the average gibbs energy of the cells ; and the relative intensity of metabolism is relative to the 50 % level of the normal basic metabolism value . metabolism measurements , which are measurable using the device of the present invention , can provide estimation of cellular gibbs energy and thus can provide important information in the treatment of cancer . thus gibbs energy is dependent on the relative intensity of the metabolism . it shows that in the condition of both a metabolism that is too low or too high , the gibbs energy of cancer cells is lower than that of healthy cells . under this condition the rate of cancer cell division may be much higher than in healthy cells . furthermore , the separation between the curves in fig6 shows that there is a gibbs energy difference between cancer and healthy cells which allows the estimation of polymorphism of the cancer cells as the tendency for polymorphism is proportional to the difference in the gibbs energy between the cancer cells and the healthy cells . cancer polymorphism itself is a very important property of the cancer cells which directly affects treatment protocol decisions and the potential effectiveness of cancer treatment . experiments and measurements were made during oral glucose tolerance tests ( ogtt ), which included a blood glucose level measurement by a standard device “ accu - chek ” [ roche diagnostics , mannhelm , germany ]. in parallel , analysis of pulse waves and bio - potentials were performed using the device of the present invention . pulse waves were measured by piezo - electric transducers and microphones in parallel with electrical signals during the measurements . these signals produced from the above measurements were recorded in a computer by standard analog - to - digital protocol and were analyzed by standard mathematical programs ( e . g . “ matlab ”). pulse - wave measurements results obtained by the present device are shown in fig7 ( raw data ), fig8 ( filtered data ) and fig9 ( raw data after fourier transform analysis ). the characteristic forms of the recorded pulse waves using the pulse wave sensors 6 a and 6 b are shown in fig7 at three blood glucose levels ( 130 , 200 and 260 mg / dl ). upon inspection of the curves of fig7 - 9 , it is obvious that the form of the pulse wave and its spectral characteristics changes from bgls of 130 to 260 mg / dl . for example , the downward sloping portions of the curves in fig8 are much less smooth as the bgl increases . therefore , such measurements can be correlated with bgl and thus bgl can be determined via those measurements consistent with the above - mentioned theory and by use of the device of the present invention . with reference to fig9 , it can also be observed that as the bgl increases , there are more high frequency components ( peaks p 1 , p 2 , p 3 , p 4 and p 5 ). again , such results can be used to form a correlation between the pulse - wave measurements and the bgl so that using the device of the present invention , bgl can be conveniently , continuously and non - invasively obtained . in all the experiments described herein , wherein a dc voltage was recorded , a standard agcl reference electrode was used as the reference electrode for the dc voltage measurements . fig1 and 11 show results of simultaneously recorded pulse - wave and bio - potential measurements obtained by the present device ( particularly by pulse - wave sensors 6 a and 6 b ; and electrodes 7 ) and their processing at different bgls , for a diabetic patient ( patient a ) and non - diabetic patient ( patient b ), respectively . it can be seen from these graphs that with the change of the blood glucose level there is change in the spectral characteristics of the pulse waves and voltage measurements . such change is a biological response of a patient to intolerant bgls ( i . e . above 120 mg / dl ). the parameters of these characteristics analyzed by neural network algorithms allow transforming all these multi - parametric dynamical parametrical changes into blood glucose level estimation . thus , the two afore - mentioned experiments indicate that an at least semi - quantitative model can be achieved and used as the basis of the present invention , using measurements of the device of the present invention . fig1 shows the results of a further experiment involving two female volunteers ( volunteer am , aged 63 and volunteer lg , aged 56 ). the volunteers were connected to the device ( particularly electrodes 7 ), in the supine position to avoid uncontrolled movement . during the measurements they were asked to recall different situations from life , including : ( a ) thinking about pregnancy , ( b ) thinking about another person , ( c ) meditation and ( d ) playing with grandchildren . the time at which these thoughts were suggested are shown by arrows on the graphs of fig1 . it can be seen that typically after a brief delay of a few seconds , there is a clear change in the voltage characteristics . such change shows that the voltage measurements ( dc and low frequency ac together with high frequency ac ) are capable of indicating a response to various psycho - emotional stimuli . such measurements therefore have potential applications in lie detector machines and to psycho - immune measurements . fig1 shows the results of different voltage measurements , produced by the electrodes 7 of the device . a device was worn on each of all four limbs and corresponding dc and low and high frequency ac voltage changes were measured during heating of the left leg by an assistant ( at about 65 seconds into the experiment ); and later ( at about 180 seconds into the experiment ) with the volunteer heating his own hands using thought / imagination . the perturbations seen in curves indicate that the device is capable of sensing metabolism and blood flow change in the limbs . thus , the device can be used as a bio - feedback system and for diagnostics . furthermore , the experimental results support a recently developed theory that there is a coordinated interconnection between the limbs . this in itself has an enormous importance for the diagnostics and treatment of limbs . fig1 is a graph showing experimental data generated by the present invention for a diagnostics of a local metabolism disorder . here the device was worn on a portion of a 53 year old male patient having diseased skin with an affected metabolism . the graph shows dynamic voltage change during a bio - resonance electromagnetic treatment . for the first three minutes of the measurements , the patient was working by himself , i . e . using the device as a biofeedback system . at three minutes into the experiment , the patient fell asleep and an electromagnetic resonance treatment began wherein different resonance signals were used . the change in voltage response seen in the curve of fig1 , at three minutes into the experiment when the resonance treatment began , validates the sensitivity of the electrode measurements to a change in local metabolism caused by the treatment . the device further monitored the patient &# 39 ; s metabolism during continuation of the treatment , which was suspended temporarily between 28 - 31 minutes and after 39 minutes . again , the electrodes measure changes in the patient &# 39 ; s local metabolism as seen in the response change shown in fig1 at those times . fig1 graphically shows experimental data generated by the present invention as a pharmaco - dynamics and pharmaco - kinetics tracking system . during this experiment a 64 year - old male volunteer , took a nutrient supplement and the electrodes 7 of the device were placed on his body at locations whereat the supplement was expected to act upon . there is a clear affect in the dynamic voltage , in particular a 50 mv decrease , as a result of the supplement intake . this indicates that the device can be used to track physiological changes in the body as a result of drug / supplement / food intake and thus it has application in pharmaco - dynamics , drug / supplement development , improvement of treatment protocols , diet programs and so on . in fig1 there is shown an embodiment of the device in which a pad 14 comprises an array of electrodes 8 ( and / or sensors 6 , or combination thereof ) arranged on it . in such an arrangement , voltage measurements can be made between electrodes 8 and such a pad 14 can be conveniently disposed at virtually any location on the surface of a biological being . the pad 14 is convenient for use in performing organ metabolic measurements , for example . for clarity , a summary of the particular electrodes / sensors / meters required for different embodiments of the device of the present invention is shown in the table below . required sensors for particular embodiments of the device sensors basic building pulse wave acoustic device block ** sensors sensors thermosensor accelerometer glucose monitor 1 no * no * 1 1 nervous system 1 no * no * no * no * monitor wireless 5 no * no * no * no * ecg local metabolism at least 2 2 no * at least 2 no * monitor limb metabolism 4 8 4 4 4 monitor psychological at least 4 8 4 4 no * detector , lie detector pharmacokinetic ; at least 4 8 at least 4 at least 4 at least 4 pharmacodynamic no * = not required in the most simplistic embodiments of the device , however could be required in more complex embodiments . ** = two spaced apart electrodes at least one of which is in contact with the biological being for providing a bio - potential measurement including a low frequency ac voltage and / or a dc voltage in which one of the two electrodes is a reference electrode providing a reference for the dc voltage . it is important to mention that the implementation of the device being a bb as an ecg provides a compact , user friendly wireless ecg device . the fact that measurements are accomplished by an electrode with reference to a reference electrode allows voltage measurement without connecting an electrical loop through the biological being itself . thus present device and method allows monitoring of a patient &# 39 ; s physiological ( health / illness ) condition by measurement , recording and analysis of the patient &# 39 ; s functional physiological profile . it is very important to note that some of the above - mentioned parameters can be measured using merely dc voltage and / or low frequency ac voltage and do not necessarily need both . | 0 |
the cell structure of fig1 comprises a container 20 , liquid electrolyte 21 , counter electrode 22 , which in our devices is carbon , although other inert materials may be used , and the photoactive n - type electrode 23 . electrode 23 comprises gaas and it is contemplated that some substances , such as al , may be present . the electrolyte is typically aqueous although nonaqueous electrolytes , such as propylene carbonate and acetonitrile , can be used . the portion of electrode 23 contacting electrolyte 21 constitutes a surface the modification of which is the subject of this invention . electrode 23 is insulated with epoxy 24 except where illuminated and activated . the container may be made of any conveniently available glass or plastic material . the bottom of the cell , opposing electrode 23 , is transparent to pass incident light as shown . when the electrode is in a suitable electrolyte , typically aqueous , and illuminated , holes migrate to the surface of the n - type gaas and cause its oxidative dissolution by the reaction 6h + + gaas → ga ( iii )+ as ( iii ). if this is the only reaction , the material photoetches . the photoetching reaction can be suppressed if a competing reaction can be found that will scavenge holes and compete directly with the photoetching reaction although it may be unable to completely suppress photoetching . a redox couple consisting of selenide anions has been found to suppress photoetching in gaas cells sufficiently that usable cells can be made . the selenium accepts charge through the reaction 2se = + 2h + → se = 2 at the photoactive electrode . the reaction at the nonphotoactive electrode is se = 2 + 2e → 2se = and there is no net chemical change in the cell . suitable redox couple concentrations in aqueous solutions range from a maximum represented by a saturated solution to a minimum of approximately 0 . 1 m which represents the minimum concentration needed to consume sufficient holes , when the electrode is illuminated by sunlight , to prevent unduly rapid photoetching . other than aqueous electrolytes may also be used but since they generally have a lesser electrical conductivity , cell efficiency is reduced at the relatively high currents produced when the cell is illuminated by sunlight . for high redox couple concentrations , light absorption in the electrolyte can be compensated for by making the liquid layer thin . diselenide ion and polyselenide ions may be formed in the solution by a conventional technique such as passing h 2 se into a basic solution , e . g ., an aqueous solution of koh , and permitting air to oxidize some of the se = to se = 2 or by directly dissolving elemental se . other bases such as naoh and nh 4 oh may also be used . the photoactive electrode comprises n - type gaas . small amounts of other substances , such as al , may be present in the electrode . if single crystal , it may be grown by any of the well - known crystal growth techniques . typical carrier concentrations are between 10 15 / cm 3 and 2 × 10 17 / cm 3 . modification of the electrode surface which contacts the liquid has been found crucial to increased cell efficiency . surface modified electrodes prepared by the following methods and having the described characteristics have been found to yield photocells with greatly enhanced performance characteristics . a layer of materials which alters surface states initially within the bandgap of the gaas and increases the photovoltage and the fill factor and reduces recombination is formed on the electrode surface . the material is present in an amount within the range extending from a tenth of a monolayer to five monolayers . the precise form of the material is not known with certainty but is believed to be a compound of the material . material comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of lead , rhodium , cobalt and ruthenium has been found to be effective . material consisting essentially of ruthenium has been found to be especially effective . useful amounts of ruthenium range from approximately one - tenth of a monolayer to several monolayers or amounts between 0 . 01 μgm / cm 2 and 1 . 0 μgm / cm 2 . the preferred range is between 0 . 01 μgm / cm 2 and 0 . 1 μgm / cm 2 . while lesser amounts of ruthenium might still improve cell efficiency somewhat , the number of surface states changed is not maximized . above 1 . 0 μgm / cm 2 , layer development begins to modify light absorption by the semiconductor . the precise form of the ruthenium on the electrode surface is not known with certainty . it is possible that the form in which the ruthenium is initially incorporated is altered by surface reactions in the selenide solution . the following methods have been found suitable for forming the ruthenium layer . the gaas electrode may be immersed briefly , for example , for approximately thirty seconds , in solutions of the metal ions as simple salts in 0 . 1 m hno 3 , and withdrawn and rinsed in water . for example , a 0 . 01 m solution of rucl 3 in dilute hno 3 has been found to produce satisfactory results . other salts such as nitrate or nitrosyl chloride may also be used . the concentration of the salts may range from 10 - 6 m to 10 - 1 m . below 10 - 6 m , excessive treatment times might be necessary . concentrations above 10 - 1 m will not reduce treatment time . times will vary with concentration in well - known manner . other acids , such a perchloric or hydrochloric , can also be used . the acid concentration may vary from 0 . 01 m to 1 . 0 m . above 1 . 0 m , the semiconductor may be etched . below 0 . 01 m , the metal ions may hydrolyze excessively . the ruthenium layer may also be formed by adding small amounts of ruthenium to the cell electrolyte . typical amounts range from 10 - 6 to 10 - 5 m when added as rucl 3 · h 2 o . when the ruthenium is added in this manner , the improved cell performance manifests itself more slowly , typically taking several hours to approach the performance obtained by the first method described . lead , cobalt and rhodium layers on the electrode surface are formed by methods similar to those described for ruthenium but the resulting beneficial effects are not as great as they are for ruthenium . solutions of noble metals , such as pd and pt , deposit layers of the metals on the surface of the gaas electrode . these layers produce a severe and permanent decline in cell voltage and current . this is expected if multiple surface states are added within the forbidden gap and the surface becomes too metallic . cell performance has been found to be still further improved if the electrode surface is further modified by increasing its surface area . an expedient method is texturizing , as by etching , prior to formation of the layer of material . the texturizing procedure has been found crucial for optimizing the short circuit current . the subsequent surface modification by formation of a layer of material on the texturized surface increases the open circuit voltage and fill factor . an expedient texturizing process will be described briefly . the gaas electrode is etched repeatedly in a 1 : 1 solution of 30 percent h 2 o 2 and an acid , for example , sulphuric , nitric or phosphoric , for several seconds at a time at a temperature of approximately 25 degrees c . the electrode is rinsed upon each withdrawal with deionized water until a shiny surface is obtained . the electrode is then etched in the same solution for ten to thirty seconds without etchant convection until the surface turns to a matte black . this is most easily done by dipping the electrode in the etchant , removing , visually observing the transformation of the electrode surface , and then rinsing . the texturizing process controls the gross topography of the electrode surface and increases the ratio of absorbed to reflected light . the texturizing process produces hillocks , having dimensions comparable to the wavelength of the incident light , in the electrode surface . the hillocks result in higher absorption of the incident light . the performance of a cell having an etched electrode with a layer of ruthenium is shown in fig2 . the electrode was an n - type gaas single crystal having a carrier concentration of approximately 5 × 10 15 / cm 3 . the measuring techniques used were standard techniques such as those described in journal of the electrochemical society 124 , 697 ( 1977 ). the surface was texturized with the described etching process . the electrode surface then had a layer of ruthenium formed by dipping the electrode for thirty seconds in 0 . 01 m rucl 3 in hno 3 . the total selenium concentration in the cell was approximately 1 m and the koh concentration was the same . on a clear day in may in murray hill , n . j ., with the sun approximately 30 degrees from the zenith , and without an antireflection coating , the cell delivered 10 . 6 ± 1 . 0 mw / cm 2 , an efficiency of 10 . 9 percent . typical fill factors ranged from 0 . 66 to 0 . 76 . a second cell having a gaas electrode prepared as described in the previous paragraph but with a carrier concentration of approximately 6 × 10 16 / cm 3 was illuminated under conditions similar to those described in the previous paragraph . at 95 mw / cm 2 insolation , the cell delivered 11 . 4 mw / cm 2 for an efficiency of 12 . 0 percent . | 8 |
the undercarpet cable 10 shown in fig2 will first be described . it has a live conductor 12 and a neutral conductor 14 . for use on 240 volts with a 30 amp current rating , these conductors are preferably of copper strip about 0 . 25 mm thick and about 20 mm wide . these conductors 12 , 14 are sandwiched between two flat films or strips 16 , 18 which form an inner insulation sheath 15 and are about 60 - 65 mm wide . the strips 16 , 18 are each conveniently a lamination of a polyester layer of about 0 . 06 mm thickness on the outer side away from the conductors , a fire retardant vinyl layer also of about 0 . 1 mm , and a heat - sealable adhesive layer on the innermost side . the total thickness of each strip 16 , 18 is about 0 . 15 mm . the conductors 12 , 14 are placed side by side on the lower strip 16 with a space of the order of 10 mm between them , and the upper strip 18 is then applied . the composite is then passed through shaped heat - sealing rollers to cause the conductors to be fully bonded to the sheath , and the two layers of the sheath to be bonded to each other in the regions where there is no conductor . these regions comprise a central region 20 between the conductors , and edge regions 22 to either side of the conductors . the live and neutral conductors 12 , 14 are in this way formed into a sealed insulated inner package . to form the complete cable a solid copper earthing ( or grounding ) conductor 26 is now placed over the conductor package . the earthing conductor has a width approximately equal to the width of the whole package and acts as an electromagnetic screen , as well as assisting effective heat dissipation and providing a safety function in the event that the cable is penetrated by a foreign body ( e . g . a nail ). the earthing conductor 26 can normally be about half the thickness of the live and neutral conductors 12 , 14 . the earthing conductor 26 should preferably not be bonded to the package 24 but is simply loosely laid on it , and if it is bonded to the conductor package , it should be sufficiently lightly bonded to be readily separable from it by hand . an outer insulation jacket or sheath 28 is now formed tightly around the combination of the package 24 and earthing conductor 26 , by two flat strips 30 , 32 which are of the same plastics lamination as the strips 16 , 18 , only about 20 mm wider . the edges 34 of the strips 30 , 32 are then heat sealingly bonded to each other to form a sealed sheath . preferably also the earthing conductor 26 is bonded to the upper strip 32 and the package 24 can be lightly bonded , for example at intermittent bands along the cable , to the lower strip 30 . the completed cable is then typically about 80 - 85 mm wide and 1 mm thick . the sheath 28 has the effect of sealing the edge portion of the cable construction , and attaching the edge of the earthing conductor 26 to the edge of the package 24 to hold them together . the outer sheath 28 preferably carries indications , e . g . by colour coding , as to which is the top and which is the live conductor . if desired a second earthing conductor can be placed beneath the conductor package to provide further electrical and mechanical protection and also to enable the cable to be used either way up . this enables the cable to be made to change direction by a simple fold . the dimensions given above are for a 240 volts 30 amp cable with twin and earth conductors . for three - phase applications an additional two current - carrying conductors can be incorporated and the overall size varied to give the required performance characteristics . the cable is installed underneath the carpet in an office or like environment . the cable is laid on the floor and covered by a steel tape which provides mechanical protection and which is secured to the floor by adhesive tape . the carpet can then be replaced over the cable . fig1 illustrates the mounting of a socket outlet 40 on the cable 10 . this is achieved by means of a box or pedestal 50 which is moulded of rigid plastics material and comprises a base unit 52 , an upper clamp unit 54 , and a shroud 200 , together with an insulation plate 56 . the socket outlet 40 is a standard socket outlet appropriate to the type of plug connector to be received , and in the united kingdom can be a twin socket outlet in accordance with the relevant british standard ( bs 1363 ) as designed for flush or surface wall mounting . no special socket outlet unit is required . the socket outlet will normally have screw connectors designed to receive an input power cable of conventional type . the base unit 52 is of generally rectangular shape and has a broad transverse recess 58 forming a surface across which the flat cable 10 is laid . the end pillars 60 to either side of this recess 58 contain various moulded bores . these include two bores 62 near two opposed corners of the base unit for receiving fixing screws , if the pedestal is to be mounted on a wooden floor , or masonary or concrete fixing devices for other floors . at the four corners of the base unit there are bores 64 which each accommodate a threaded bush 66 to receive a bolt ( not shown ) which secures the clamp unit 54 to the base unit . four bores 68 are also provided which open towards the transverse recess 58 and communicate with shallow channels 70 in the base of the recess . at least two of these bores , one on each pillar 60 , receive screw terminals 72 which are connected by a copper strip 74 to an insulation - displacement contact ( idc ) 76 to form a unitary contact member . the contact 76 comprises a square plate the corners of which are bent upwards as shown to provide four sharp contact points , capable of penetrating the insulating sheath of the cable 10 to make good electrical contact with the live and neutral conductors 12 and 14 . the clamp unit 54 is designed to fit over and around the base unit 52 and with the assistance of the plate 56 to press the package 24 in the cable 10 down onto the idc contacts 76 so that proper contact is made . the clamp unit 54 is of the same general shape as the base unit but has a central aperture 78 for receiving the rear of the socket outlet 40 and associated wiring , and also a larger flange 80 which bears against the floor ( or may be relieved to receive the edge of the carpet ). four bores 82 accommodate the bolts ( not shown ) which are received in the threaded bushes 66 in the base unit . when the bolts are tightened the necessary clamping force is applied to the cable . preferably the bolts are of the type which take a hexagonal allen key so that they can provide a large clamping force . bores 84 adjacent the aperture 78 in the centre of the longer side of the clamp unit ( the side which runs transverse to the cable ) each accommodate a captive idc terminal post 86 . the lower end of the post 86 is designed to form an insulation displacement contact which provides an earth termination to the earth conductor 26 in the cable 10 . the upper end of the post 86 is provided with a screw terminal 88 similar to the screw terminals 72 for the live and neutral conductors . further bores 90 are aligned above the four possible positions of the terminal posts 72 , and open into the aperture 78 . the manner in which the cable is connected to the pedestal will now be described . the cable is laid across the floor and the desired position for an outlet socket is chosen . a hole of appropriate size is made in the carpet . at this point the electrician has to gain access to the cable conductors . this he does with a sharp knife by slitting or cutting off the edges 34 of the outer sheath 28 in the region that will be lying over the recess 58 . the line of the cut is shown at x in fig2 and by the dashed lines x in fig1 . with the cable described , making these cuts in the right place is very easy . it will be recalled that the earthing conductor 26 is at least as wide as the conductor package 24 . thus all the electrician has to do is to feel for the edge of the earthing conductor 26 , and to cut alongside it . in this way he removes the edge portions 34 which bond the two halves of the outer sheath together , but he is in no danger of violating the live and neutral conductor package 24 . it will also be recalled that the earthing conductor 26 was not bonded to the conductor package 24 or at least not firmly bonded . thus over the length where the edges 34 are removed , the cable can easily be separated into two parts with a gap between them . the top part consists of the top outer insulating strip 32 and the earthing conductor 26 , and the bottom part consists of the bottom outer insulating strip 30 and the conductor package 24 , the latter containing the live and neutral conductors 12 and 14 in the inner insulating sheath 15 . now the electrician takes the insulating plate 56 , which is of the same general shape as the recess 58 across which the cable lies . the electrician slides this plate between the two separated parts of the cable and places it over the recess 58 . the clamp unit 54 is placed on top and the clamping bolts in bores 82 are tightened into bushes 66 . the clamping force is sufficient to force the bottom part of the cable down onto the contacts 76 to cause the contact points to penetrate the insulation and make contact with the live and neutral conductors 12 and 14 respectively , and to cause the contact portion of the terminal post 86 to penetrate the earth conductor 26 . to assist in this the plate 56 has bores or recesses 92 which are aligned with the points of the contacts 76 . to maintain the alignment of the plate 56 , the plate has rectangular projections 94 at either end which slide into corresponding recesses 96 in the inside edges of the pillars 60 . the base plate 52 may optionally include threaded bushes 98 at this point , in which case the plate 56 has corresponding holes 100 . a bolt can then be passed through each hole 100 into the bush 98 and tightened to hold the plate 56 and hence the bottom part of the cable in place for the subsequent assembly stages . the plate 56 is of such a thickness that there can be no danger of the contacts 76 penetrating from the underside as far as the top surface of the plate to make contact with the earth , or the earth idc penetrating from the upper side to make contact with the live and neutral conductors below . to assist in allowing penetration of the conductor the plate has cut - outs 102 . the plate 56 can have appropriate instructions printed on it to assist the electrician in installing the socket outlet correctly . to attach the standard socket outlet 40 , the clamp unit 54 has two threaded bushes 104 at the required spacing at either end of the aperture 78 . conventional fixing bolts ( not shown ) pass through holes 106 in the socket outlet 40 and engage in bushes 104 . the base unit 52 has two bores 108 which receive the ends of these fixing bolts should they protrude through the clamp unit 54 . the shroud or cover 200 is interposed between the socket outlet 40 and the clamp unit 54 . the shroud has a configuration generally similar to the top surface of the clamp unit 54 , with a central aperture 202 just smaller than the outer periphery of the socket outlet so as to be clamped between the socket outlet and the clamp unit . two lips 204 are provided having apertures 206 which are positioned in line with the bushes 104 in the clamp unit , so that the bolts in holes 106 pass through the apertures 206 . in use it is , of course , necessary to complete the electrical connections to the socket outlet 40 before it is bolted in place . the terminal posts 72 protrude through the bores 90 in the clamp unit 54 , so that the screw terminals 110 are accessible from above and the wire - receiving transverse bores 112 in the terminal posts are open into the aperture 78 . in the example illustrated in fig1 there are two terminal posts 72 , one for each of the live and neutral conductors 12 and 14 , and this will be the usual arrangement . a short length of insulated wire is then run from the terminal posts to the terminals on the rear of the standard twin switched socket 40 . the earth connection is provided by a further length of wire between the respective terminal on the socket 40 and the screw terminal 88 at the top of terminal post 86 which makes direct contact with the earth conductor 26 in the cable . this type of connection is familiar to electricians and so is easy to make and most unlikely to be made incorrectly . as the pedestal 50 provides a standard fixing for the socket 40 , alternative types of outlet can be used which have the same fixing parameters . an advantage of the system illustrated is that if it is desired to remove the socket outlet from the position in which it is installed , this can be done without difficulty . the only damage done to the cable is to make small pinpricks in the insulation . the same basic pedestal can be used in other different configurations . different types of outlet sockets can be mounted by using a spacer or adaptor moulding . the pedestal illustrated can also be used to join two lengths of cable 10 , or as a transition box to join a length of conventional supply cable to the flat cable 10 . when used as a junction box to join two lengths of flat cable in line , the pedestal includes four of the terminal posts 72 and associated insulation displacement contacts 76 spaced in the recess 58 . the cable lengths are cut so as to terminate in the middle of the recess , and thus the contacts 76 at one end of the recess 58 will embed in one of the cable ends and those at the other end of the recess in the other cable end . the live and neutral connections are completed by short lengths of wire between the terminal posts 72 , and the earth connections by a short length of wire between terminal posts 86 . a socket 40 can be mounted on such a junction box or , if no socket is required at that point , a conventional plain blanking plate can be used . this system is particularly useful in that it enables an existing cable length terminating at a socket outlet to be extended by an additional length of cable without the need to replace the existing length with a longer length . the cable and pedestal cooperate to provide an extremely effective power distribution system for undercarpet use . the cable provides the current - carrying conductors with two layers of insulation , but is constructed so as to facilitate terminating and joining to the cable . the pedestal takes advantage of the cable construction and provides a simple but adaptable mounting which can be used in various configurations , namely with standard outlet sockets , or as a junction box to join two like cable lengths , or as a transition box to join the flat cable to a conventional cable , or to perform two of these functions simultaneously . as thus far described , the system is essentially as described in british patent application no . 84 24281 , though with the addition of the shroud 200 . the shroud or cover gives the added advantage of being replaceable to enable other styles of socket to be fitted , as may be used in other countries , without having to change the base and clamp unit . it also allows colour changes to be made easily and hides any unacceptable marks on the clamp unit . the construction of the earlier application has proved extremely practical , in enabling power to be made available in an area such as a shop or office at a position remote from the walls without the need to cause any significant disruption in installation . it has been appreciated that the system would be significantly enhanced if , in addition to mains power , other facilities could be made available such as telephone and / or data links . flat cable suitable for running to such an island site is readily available ; the voltages involved do not pose the same dangers to personnel as do mains voltages . also it is sometimes desired to add further power outlets and the easiest way of doing this is often to provide a spur from an existing outlet . with various objects in mind the system of fig1 includes various modules 220 , 222 , 224 which can be attached to the sides of the pedestal unit 50 . module 220 provides two telephone outlets , module 222 has two data outlet sockets , and module 224 is designed to enable a power spur to be connected . fig3 shows the modules connected to the assembled central pedestal unit . the modules can be chained together except that no further modules may be added before or after a power spur module 224 because the outgoing power cable will be in the way and power cables from the spur connect directly to the power pedestal . fig3 to 5 show how the modules are attached to the pedestal unit 50 . the modules have the outline shape of the end part of the shroud 200 , and their inner faces conform to the shape of the end part of the shroud , so as to provide a natural extension to the shroud . the outer face of the shroud is generally inclined downwardly and outwardly , as seen in fig3 and 5 . the inner face of the module 220 has as an extension of its bottom surface two t - pieces 230 . these t - pieces pass through recesses 232 in the bottom of the shroud and of the clamping unit , and stop the module from moving away from the pedestal or the preceding module , thus holding the structure in the assembled condition . the method of assembly of the modules onto the pedestal is best illustrated by fig5 . the socket outlet 40 is first released , also releasing the shroud or cover 200 . the modules are then abutted to the power pedestal and held captive by the cover when the cover is screwed into position . the module can not now be removed as the t - pieces can not be released from the cover unless the cover is lifted from the floor . if it is desired to change the accessory modules , it is necessary only to release the cover 200 . it is not necessary to unscrew the clamp unit or base and the idc contacts remain undisturbed . the underside of the modules is hollow to accommodate the connector components as shown at 240 in fig1 . if desired , recesses 242 ( fig3 ) can be provided to allow access between the module and pedestal interiors for conductor wires . the socket - receiving modules 220 and 222 have standard sized openings which receive telephone , data or fibre optic connectors as desired . fig3 illustrates how the telephone and data lines to the modules can be laid under the carpet , either parallel or at right angles to the run of the power cable . it may sometimes be desired to use the modules 220 or 222 separately from the power outlet pedestal unit . this can be done using the link member 250 of fig6 which is configured like the two opposed ends of the shroud or cover 200 . two bores 252 are provided by which the link member can be secured to the floor with fastening devices . the power spur module 224 is slightly different in that it has no socket outlet apertures and really just provides a cover for insulation displacement contacts used to connect a spur cable . these contact members are illustrated in fig7 to 9 and comprise a nylon moulding 260 ( fig7 and 8 ) and a contact assembly 280 ( fig9 ). the moulding 260 is generally rectangular of about 20 mm by 16 mm by 13 mm and essentially provides two slots , a first open slot 262 for receiving the end of a flat conductor from a section or cable , and second through slot 264 for locating the contact assembly above the cable end . the cable assembly 280 comprises a flat brass plate 282 having two threaded bores 284 , 286 . into one of these there is threaded a bolt 288 having a slotted head and which carries at its end a cup - shaped idc contact 290 having eight triangular teeth 292 formed on its rim and pointing away from the head of the bolt . the end of the bolt is rivetted over as at 294 to retain the contact 290 on the bolt while allowing relative rotation of the bolt and contact . a washer 296 may assist in this . the assembly 290 is slid into the slot 264 in the moulding 260 . this will position the contact 290 above the plane of the cable - receiving slot 262 . a recess 296 may be provided beneath the contact 290 . when a piece of cable is in the slot 262 , the bolt 288 can be tightened with the aid of a screwdriver in the head of the bolt , moving the threaded bolt downwardly through the plate 282 and forcing the teeth 292 into the cable end . a positive connection is thus made . the other bore 286 in the strip 282 enables a normal screw connection to be made to a short length of cable , the other end of which is terminated on one of the terminal posts 72 and 86 as appropriate . the contact system formed by bolt 288 , cup - shaped idc contact 290 and washer 296 may be suitable for other purposes and the terminal post 86 may be of similar design . | 7 |
the preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in detail in fig4 - 6 . fig4 depicts an elevation view of seal 50 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention with fig5 taken as a cross section through the elevation view of fig4 . seal 50 comprises an outer sleeve 51 having a first generally planar member 52 including length 53 , first rounded end 54 , second rounded end 55 , and width 56 extending therebetween . outer sleeve 52 also has a first thickness 57 . seal 50 further comprises a second generally planar member 58 that is opposite , yet substantially parallel to first generally planar member 51 , as is shown in fig5 . second generally planar member 58 has a second thickness 59 and at least one step 60 thereby forming a raised portion 61 of second generally planar member 58 . located in between first generally planar member 52 and second generally planar member 58 is a plurality of third generally planar members 62 that each have a third thickness 63 and extend from proximate first end 54 to proximate second end 55 . depending on the dimensions of the slot in which the seal is to be placed as well as the desired amount of seal movement , the number of third generally planar members can vary . however , in the preferred embodiment , three members are utilized in between first and second generally planar members as well as a shorter member that is located within the raised portion 61 of second generally planar member 58 . the more pliability desired will utilize fewer third generally planar members while a stiffer seal design will require more third generally planar members , for a given member thickness . in order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art seal , in which multiple slabs can move relative to one another , the present invention fixes third generally planar members 62 to first and second generally planar members 52 and 58 , respectively . these planar members can be affixed by a variety of means , but the preferred means is through a plurality of spot welds 64 , as shown in fig4 . as one skilled in the art understands , in order to make a complete spot weld , there cannot be a gap between the raised portion 61 , the first generally planar member 52 opposite of the raised portion and the plurality of third generally planar members 62 located therebetween . otherwise , the welding current cannot pass through all surfaces that are to be welded . the preferred embodiment of the present invention further incorporates substantially rounded first and second ends , 54 and 55 , as shown in fig5 , such that a portion of second generally planar member 58 and plurality of third generally planar members are enclosed . rounded ends to outer sleeve 51 have been incorporated for multiple reasons . first , the rounded ends provide a more compliant point of contact for the seal against the slot as shown in fig6 , which is beneficial during seal installation and engine operation . second , the ends of various sheet members stacked in between the first and second generally planar members are protected from contacting adjacent hardware that could damage the assembled members by trying to pry the members apart . the rounded ends have , by nature , a height 66 when viewed in cross section , as shown in fig5 . the ends 54 and 55 are rounded completely on both the outer - most side of the seal and partially rounded on the inner side ( the side closest to centerline a - a ). as such , the height 66 of the rounded ends 54 and 55 is greater than the summation of thicknesses of first generally planar member 52 , second generally planar member 58 , and plurality of third generally planar members 62 ( as indicated by thickness 57 , 59 , and 63 , respectively ). this can be seen in fig5 . these thicknesses , when stacked together and including any change in seal geometry . as shown in fig5 , have by nature a height 68 . the height 66 of the rounded ends 54 and 55 is greater than any height 68 along the width 56 of the seal . the seal must have this relative height configuration between the rounded ends 54 and 55 and the seal width 56 so as to comply with the operational requirement described above wherein the rounded ends serve as the point of contact for the seal ( see fig6 ). as shown in fig6 , it is the rounded ends that provide the contact surfaces for the seal in a slot , not the generally planar members . a further benefit of the rounded ends of outer sleeve 51 is with respect to the position of welds 64 . seal 50 further comprises a centerline a - a , as shown in fig4 , that extends along length 53 . by positioning welds 64 along centerline a - a , a neutral axis is established allowing the seal ends , which are contacting the slot , to twist about centerline a - a , such that it is compliant to slot movement without overstressing the weld joints . one skilled in the art of sheet metal fabrication and welding will understand that the size and spacing of welds 64 depend on the material and thickness of that which is being welded . depending on the operating requirements , the seal material and respective member thickness can vary . however , it is preferred that seal 50 is fabricated from a high temperature alloy such as haynes 188 . furthermore , due to outer sleeve 51 serving as the outermost layer and generally the region of contact with an engine seal slot , it is preferred that first thickness 57 is greater than both second thickness 59 and third thickness 63 . accordingly , outer sleeve 51 is fabricated from a sheet having a first thickness between 0 . 015 inches and 0 . 050 inches while second and third generally planar members 58 and 62 are fabricated from a sheet having a second and third thickness , respectively , of between 0 . 010 inches and 0 . 040 inches . the configuration presented in the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides for a gas turbine seal fabricated from a plurality of generally planar members , preferably spot welded together along a neutral axis . as a result , the seal , which provides a seal to reduce or eliminate undesirable leakage resulting in engine performance loss , has improved shear and bending capability while reducing the stress loads applied to the weld joints . while the invention has been described in what is known as presently the preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but , on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements within the scope of the following claims . | 5 |
described herein are techniques that can use a database of protein data to derive a set of rules that are predictive of a given protein &# 39 ; s biophysical and biochemical properties . the techniques described herein may also be used , for example , in a data mining process operating on protein / condition outcomes ( e . g ., protein crystallization , solubility , and other intermediate forms ). among a wide variety of other applications , such data mining may yield sets of conditions likely to yield a specified outcome for a protein . the proteins may include naturally occurring proteins , modified proteins , synthetic proteins and sub - domains of proteins . a database may be constructed , for example , from protein sequence information and experimental data on protein biophysical and biochemical properties . the protein sequence information can include the primary amino acid sequence and characteristics which are derived from the sequence , including amino acid composition , the character of a region of the sequence , hydrophobicity , charge , molecular weight , the presence and length of low complexity regions and the presence of sequence motifs found in other proteins . the amino acid composition includes such information as the percent of a specific amino acid present in the sequence , the percent of a combination of two or more amino acids , and the percent of amino acids of a general class ( such as , but not limited to , hydrophobic , hydrophilic , aromatic , aliphatic , acidic , basic , charged , and the like ). regions having a particular character may be , for example , regions of low sequence complexity , regions that are hydrophobic / hydrophilic , or charged regions ( positive or negative ). the source or the sequence information may be derived from the genomic dna sequence , cdna sequence , or synthetic dna . the primary sequence information may come from a wide variety of sources , including human , animals , plants , yeast , bacteria , virus or engineered proteins . the biophysical properties which populate the database may include , for example , thermal stability , solubility , isoelectric point , ph stability , crystallizability , conditions of crystallization , aggregation state , heat capacity , resistance to chemical denaturation , resistance to proteolytic degradation , amide hydrogen exchange data , behavior on chromatographic matrices , electrophoretic mobility and resistance to degradation during mass spectrometry . biophysical properties may also include amenability ( suitability ) for study by various investigative techniques , including nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ), x - ray crystallography , circular dichroism ( cd ), light scattering , atomic adsorption , fluorescence , fluorescence quenching , mass spectroscopy , infrared spectroscopy ( ir ), electron microscopy , atomic force microscopy and any results obtained from these techniques . the conditions under which the property was determined may be incorporated into the database . these conditions may include solvent choice , protein concentration , buffer components and concentration , ph , temperature and salt concentration . it is advantageous to record a protein &# 39 ; s properties determined under a variety of experimental conditions . additional proteins are studied using the same set of conditions . in cases where applicable , negative information is recorded in the database ( for example , insolubility , unsuitability for study by nmr , etc .) to insure uniformity of the data collected , it is preferred to perform the biophysical measurements on proteins that have been purified . it is especially preferable that the proteins are at least about 95 % pure . among the biophysical properties which may be included in the database are those that relate to x - ray crystallographic techniques . these properties include conditions under which a protein does or does not crystallize , including solvents , precipitants , buffer components and concentration , ph , temperature , and salt concentration . the properties also include any results obtained from the x - ray crystallography studies , including three dimensional structure , characteristics of the crystal , including space group , solvent content , unit cell parameters , crystal contacts , solution conditions and bound water , and substrate binding . additionally , the database may include how the various conditions employed effect results that are obtained . the biochemical properties that comprise the database may include expressability , or level of expression in various vectors and hosts with various fusion tags and under various conditions , such as temperature and medium composition , the protein yield obtained from various vectors and hosts under various conditions , results of small molecule binding screens , subcellular localization , demonstrated utility as a drug target , and knowledge of protein - protein or protein - ligand interactions . a biochemical property of particular interest is the protein &# 39 ; s potential as a drug target . some applications of these techniques may feature large numbers of proteins examined and compared under uniform conditions . the advent of high - throughput cloning and expression techniques and of high - throughput protein purification techniques has contributed to the feasibility of collecting this large volume of information . in theory , one might be able to compile the type of data listed above on a larger number of proteins from published accounts in the literature . data from literature sources is not acquired under “ standard ” or uniform conditions . furthermore , it is hard to assess the quality control or to fully ascertain the experimental conditions in many literature papers . therefore , such a literature database would inherently yield less reliable predictions . for example , one can find data on protein yields from e . coli expression for many proteins . however , the conditions of growth ( length of incubation time , temperature , induction condition , and so forth ) are variable and can have effects on the experimental result . thus , correlations between protein characteristics and expressability based on such data may lack reliability . additionally , the intrinsic noise or scatter in the data might mask more subtle correlations . for some applications , uniformity of the data may be preferable . for example , the biophysical and biochemical data are collected using a uniform set of conditions or experimental procedures . the conditions under which the empirical data are collected are recorded in the database . ideally , multiple conditions are recorded for each type of measurement . the conditions of the data collection ( temperature , solution components , salt concentration , buffer , ph ) can drastically affect the behavior of a given protein . therefore , it is desirable to compare many proteins under the same set of conditions , so that the only variable is the protein sequence . alternatively , one can compare a variety of conditions for a give protein ( or set of proteins ) and relate that to sequence features . in order to mine this data , it is annotated in the database using a “ controlled vocabulary ”. for example , data entry for solubility could be either a number , such as a quantitative measurement ( for example , solubility in mg / ml ), or a qualitative numerical scale ( for example , a scale of 0 - 5 , with 0 being completely insoluble , and 5 being very soluble ). direct instrumental measurements can also be used if internal calibration standards are used , so that the values can be related to some standard . as a sufficient quantity of data is compiled in the database , the data can be analyzed using data - mining techniques , or knowledge discovery tools , for example , to find correlations among protein sequence information and biochemical or biophysical properties . these correlations can yield predictive rules for general protein behavior . the correlations may link protein sequence information alone , or in combination with one or more biochemical or biophysical properties , to a certain characteristic or a set of characteristics . using the correlations obtained from the data - mining techniques , the properties of new proteins are determined given their amino acid sequence information alone or using a combination of the sequence information and one or more empirical properties . data - mining techniques , or knowledge discovery tools , include computer algorithms and associated software for identifying relationships between elements of the database . data - mining techniques include , for example , decision - tree analysis , case - based reasoning , bayesian classification , simple linear discriminant analysis , and support vector machines . the predictive nature of the techniques described herein allows one to preemptively adjust experimental conditions to optimize , for example , cloning techniques , protein expression techniques , purification techniques and protein structure determination techniques . thus , the invention provides a method for optimizing high - throughput protein structure determination . using the predictive power of the empirical database in conjunction with data - mining tools , and the correlations obtained therefrom , the biochemical and biophysical properties of new proteins are predicted . based upon these predictions , experimental conditions for the analysis of a protein , or class of proteins , is modified . conversely , the invention provides a screening method to identify proteins that exhibit the desired properties for structural analysis or for use as a substrate for high - throughput drug screening . by the method of the invention , the biochemical or biophysical properties of new proteins are determined . proteins that are determined to have a desired property or properties are then selected for further analysis . in this way , optimal proteins can be selected based on properties including one or more of crystallizability , suitability for nmr , expressability in a certain vector , solubility , suitability for study by a certain investigative technique and suitability for drug screens . the techniques can speed up the high - throughput structure determination process . the 3d structure of a protein can also reveal whether it is likely to be a good drug target . good drug targets generally , have deep , often hydrophobic , clefts or grooves on their surface or at their active sites where small molecule drugs can bind with high affinity . poor drug targets have shallow grooves or otherwise poor surface properties that do not allow for high affinity binding of small molecules . by rapidly identifying which proteins have surface properties that make it promising for drug binding , the method greatly facilitates the drug discovery process . the techniques can also provide a method to identify proteins that exhibit desired biochemical properties for drug interaction . such biochemical properties may include the propensity to bind or interact with certain small molecules such as , for example , hydrophobic compounds , carbohydrates , or metal ions , or certain classes of drugs , pesticides , herbicide , or insecticides . proteins that are determined to have a desired property or properties are then selected for further analysis . the screening of proteins as potential drug targets allows the researcher to selectively study proteins that are predicted to have desired biochemical or biophysical properties , thus reducing the research time and costs while greatly increasing the chance of success . the techniques may also provide a method of predicting which proteins are amenable to investigation as drug targets , thus speeding up the drug discovery process . for example , the techniques can be used to predict from protein sequence information which proteins will be soluble and stable — a requirement for high - throughput biochemical screening of drug - target candidates . thus , it greatly facilitates the development of high - throughput screening methods . additionally , the techniques may be used to predict which proteins will crystallize and under what conditions , and which proteins will be amenable to nmr structure determination . the structure of a protein is useful in designing inhibitors or drugs that target that protein . the invention provides a rapid method of predicting which proteins are amenable to structure determination , thus speeding up the drug discovery process . in addition , the method of the invention will tell us which sequence features make a protein less amenable to structure determination , or less soluble and less stable . thus , it provides the necessary knowledge to make point mutations , allowing the production of an analogous protein that will be more amenable to structure determination , or more soluble and more stable , again facilitating the target identification , validation and high - throughput screening and drug design processes . certain classes of proteins , such as a specific enzyme class , may exhibit unique biochemical or biophysical properties . thus , the invention can allow the creation of “ class - specific ” characteristics , which discover new members of the class or to modify members of the class to be more optimal in terms of activity , solubility , or suitability for structure determination . generally , the more protein characteristics compiled in the database , the greater the predictive powers achieved from the rules derived from the data - mining . for this reason the use of high throughput techniques in the assembly of the database is desirable . the wide availability of recombinant dna technology makes it feasible to generate expression systems that can produce large quantities of a selected protein . the steps for protein production may include : generation of the protein expression systems , overexpressing the protein and purifying the protein . the generation of a clone for any particular gene of interest , and its incorporation into a suitable expression vector , is now a straightforward task that can be done in a parallel fashion for high - throughput production . the selection of target proteins for structural analysis from completely sequenced genomes can take advantage of the availability of these cloned genes . however , even if a clone of a particular protein of interest is not readily available , it has now become a routine operation to generate a cdna clone for almost any particular protein from a wide variety of organisms . to obtain expression of a cloned nucleic acid , the expression vector for expression in bacteria contains a strong promoter to direct transcription , a transcription / translation terminator , and if the nucleic acid encodes a peptide or polypeptide , a ribosome binding site for translational initiation . suitable bacterial promoters are well known in the art and described , e . g ., in sambrook et al . and ausubel et al . bacterial expression systems are available in , e . g ., e . coli , bacillus sp ., and salmonella ( palva et al ., gene 22 : 229 - 235 ( 1983 ); mosbach et al ., nature 302 : 543 - 545 ( 1983 ). kits for such expression systems are commercially available . eukaryotic expression systems for mammalian cells , yeast , and insect cells are well known in the art and are also commercially available . in certain cases , where post - translational modifications , for example , glycosylation are important , eukaryotic expression systems are preferred . in some cases , it may be preferable to employ expression vectors which can be propagated in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells , enabling , for example , nucleic acid purification and analysis using one organism and protein expression using another . transfection methods used to produce bacterial , mammalian , yeast or insect cells or cell lines that express large quantities of protein are well known in the art . these include the use of calcium phosphate transfection , polybrene , protoplast fusion , electroporation , liposomes , microinjection , plasma vectors , viral vectors and any of the other well known methods for introducing cloned genomic dna , cdna , synthetic dna or other foreign genetic material into a host cell ( see , e . g ., sambrook et al ., supra ). after the expression vector is introduced into the cells , the transfected cells are cultured under conditions favoring expression of protein , which are then purified using standard techniques . the protein may be expressed in suitable amounts for further analysis . there are several expression systems that have been extensively studied . some of these include : 1 ) bacterial ( e . coli ), 2 ) methylotrophic yeast ( pichia pastorisis ), 3 ) viral ( baculovirus , adenovirus , vaccinia and some rna viruses ), 4 ) cell culture ( mammalian and insect ), and 5 ) in vitro translation . although the expression of any particular protein may be idiosyncratic , the availability of these and other expression systems significantly increases the ability to produce large quantities of protein . in situations in which relatively large amounts of relatively pure protein in native form are required , for example to obtain protein crystals useful for determination of 3d structure , it may be desirable to employ expression systems characterized by high expression levels , efficient protein processing including cleavage of signal peptides and other post - translational modifications . the baculovirus expression system is widely used to express a variety of proteins in large quantities . in addition to fulfilling the above requirements , the size of the expressed protein is not limited , and expressed proteins are typically correctly folded and in a biologically active state . baclovirus expression vectors and expression systems are commercially available ( clontech , palo alto , calif . ; invitrogen corp ., carlsbad , calif .). once a protein has been expressed to an acceptable level , the protein is purified from the other contents of the cell system that was utilized for expression . highly purified protein is often desirable for further analysis according to the method of the invention . the proteins can be expressed fused to tags that aid subsequent purification or measurement techniques . typical tags bind specifically to particular ligands , allowing the attached protein to be purified without regard to its physical or biochemical characteristics . such tags can then be cleaved , leaving the protein in its native form . examples of tags include histidine rich sequences that bind to various metal ions and glutathione - s - transferase ( gst ) tags which selectively bind to glutathione . the ligands are typically attached to a solid support . the fusion proteins are bound to the immobilized ligand and unbound material is removed . in certain cases , the fusion protein also includes a cleavable sequence of amino acids between the protein of interest and the tag sequence whereby the tag can be cleaved from the protein of interest . typically , this is accomplished with a protease that cleaves the sequence under conditions where the protein of interest is not degraded , or with an intein sequence , which allows for internal cleavage of the protein . alternatively , the tags can provide a method for specifically anchoring proteins to a solid support for assay purposes . for example , it can be useful to anchor proteins to an assay plate in order to measure fluorescence and fluorescence quenching in the presence of potential ligands . in another embodiment , a solid support is employed which provides an array of binding surfaces to which different proteins of the library are anchored for use in protein - ligand and protein - protein interaction studies . the solid support can be , for example , a glass or plastic plate , a semi - solid or gel - like matrix or the surface of a semiconductor measuring device . bacterial vectors designed for production of gst fusion proteins are commercially available which allow cloning of dnas in all three reading frames ( e . g ., pgex series of vectors ; amersham pharmacia biotech , inc ., piscataway , n . j .). to explore the feasibility of a comprehensive structural proteomics project , 424 non - membrane proteins of unknown structure from methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum are cloned , expressed in e . coli and purified . using a single high - throughput protocol , about 20 % of these are found to be suitable candidates for x - ray crystallographic or nmr spectroscopic analysis without further optimization of conditions , providing an estimate of the number of the most readily accessible structural targets in a proteome . a retrospective analysis of the empirical characteristics , including the experimental behavior , of these proteins provides some simple relations between sequence and biochemical and biophysical properties . a comprehensive database of protein properties is useful in optimizing high - throughput strategies . m . th . is a thermophilic archaeon whose genome comprises 1871 open reading frames . archaeal proteins share many sequence and functional features with eukaryotic proteins , but are often smaller and more robust , and thus serve as excellent model systems for complex processes . only two exclusionary criteria were implemented in the target selection scheme . first , membrane - associated proteins , which comprise approximately 30 % ( 267 - 422 of 1871 orfs ) of the m . th . proteome , were excluded . second , proteins that have clear homologues in the pdb were excluded ( approximately 27 % of m . th . proteins ). 424 of the remaining 900 final target m . th . proteins ( almost a quarter of the entire proteome and a third of the non - membrane proteins ) were chosen for cloning , expression and subsequent studies . these represent an unbiased sampling of non - membrane proteins from a single proteome with 34 % having a functional annotation , 54 % classified as “ conserved ” and 12 % as “ unknown ”. this diverse collection of proteins was particularly valuable for retrospective analysis aimed at identifying sequence features that are predictive of protein biophysical and biochemical behavior . each target gene was pcr - amplified from genomic dna under standard , but optimized , conditions , with terminal incorporation of unique restriction sites , using high fidelity pfu dna polymerase ( stratagene ). the pcr products were directionally cloned into the pet15b bacterial expression vector ( novagen ). the resulting plasmid encoded a fusion protein with an n - terminal hexa - histidine tag followed by a thrombin cleavage site . in the interest of throughput , no other expression vectors or organisms were used . a single pcr protocol and set of cloning conditions were optimized for m . th . based on an analysis of an initial set of 50 genes . positive clones were confirmed by colony pcr screening using taq dna polymerase . the generic nature of the procedure resulted in some pcr and sub - cloning failures , leading to a cumulative attrition rate of ˜ 6 %. this protocol is readily scalable to 96 - well format and has been extended to alternative vectors and expression organisms . the m . th . open reading frames were divided arbitrarily into two groups , “ large ” (& gt ; 20 kda monomer size ) and “ small ” (& lt ; 20 kda ). large proteins were processed for crystallization trials and small proteins for nmr feasibility studies . most (˜ 80 %) successfully cloned m . th . proteins could be expressed in e . coli bl21 - gold ( de3 ) cells ( stratagene ), although efficient expression often required the presence of a second plasmid encoding three trnas which are frequently used by archeons and eukaryotes but are rare in e . coli . while most proteins were expressed to reasonable levels , many were not expressed in soluble form (& lt ; 0 . 5 mg / l soluble protein ), especially in the case of the larger proteins . it is possible to reduce the attrition rate due to poor solubility by optimizing the expression conditions for each clone . however , in the interest of throughput a single set of growth conditions optimized for the majority of proteins was used . for large proteins , three colonies from each transformation were tested for protein expression on a small scale ( 50 ml ). proteins found to be soluble by sds - page analysis of the bacterial extract were prepared on a larger scale ( 2 l ). these proteins were purified by a combination of heat - treatment ( 55 c .) and nickel affinity chromatography , followed by thrombin cleavage and removal of the hexa - histidine tag . the heat treatment causes a significant enrichment of many , but not all , m . th . proteins . the purification of the proteins was monitored by denaturing gel electrophoresis and occasionally by mass spectrometry . proteins that survived the purification process (˜ 75 %) were concentrated to 10 mg / ml and subjected to a sparse - matrix crystallization screen of 48 conditions at room temperature ( matrix screen 1 ; hampton research ). for each protein that crystallized in the initial screen , conditions were further optimized using an expansion of related solution conditions ( typically 18 - 20 screens of 24 conditions for each protein ). twenty four of the proteins that formed crystals in the primary screen were followed up with optimization screens . of these , 11 formed well diffracting crystals (& lt ; 3 . 0 a ). the implementation of automated methods for setting up and monitoring crystal screens can improve the throughput this process . the smaller proteins (& lt ; 20 kda predicted monomer size ) destined for nmr analysis were expressed five at a time , each in 1 l of 15 n - enriched minimal media and purified in parallel using metal affinity chromatography . the resulting 15 n - labeled hexahistidine fusion proteins were concentrated by ultrafiltration to ˜ 5 - 20 mg / ml , and the 15 n - hsqc nmr spectrum taken at 25 c . the hsqc spectra were classified into one of three categories . the first , termed “ excellent ” and indicative of soluble , globular proteins , contained the predicted number of dispersed peaks of roughly equal intensity . these excellent spectra suggested that the process of determining their 3d structure is relatively straight - forward . the second type of spectrum , termed “ promising ”, had features such as too few or too many peaks and / or broad but dispersed signals . this suggested that optimization of either the protein construct or the solution conditions would be needed to yield an excellent sample . the last category , termed “ poor ”, comprised two kinds of spectra . the first , which have intense peaks but with little dispersion in the 15 n - dimension , most likely reflect proteins that are soluble yet , largely unfolded . the second class had very low signal - to - noise and / or a single cluster of very broad peaks in the center of the spectrum . this class probably represented proteins that aggregate nonspecifically at concentrations required for nmr spectroscopy and thus were not readily amenable to structural analysis . for the 100 soluble proteins tested , the ratio of excellent / promising / poor spectra was 33 / 10 / 57 . of the 33 proteins showing excellent spectra , seven were initially chosen for more detailed structure determination using nmr spectroscopy . for these samples the his - affinity tag was removed by proteolytic cleavage ; this does not markedly change the spectral properties of the proteins , suggesting that this step may be omitted in the interest of saving time and maximizing protein yield . in one case ( mth40 ) it was necessary to further optimize solution conditions in order to prepare a sample that was stable for the time period ( several weeks ) necessary for nmr data collection . analysis of protein folding and stability by circular dichroism ( cd ) spectroscopy to explore how other spectroscopic techniques might aid in the identification of proteins suitable for detailed structural analysis , cd experiments were performed on 100 of the small , soluble mt proteins . of the 28 proteins with excellent nmr spectra that a were re - examined , all but 6 displayed cd spectra that were typical of folded proteins containing a significant fraction of - helical and / or - sheet secondary structure . the six atypical spectra may have resulted from unusual structural features of the proteins in question ( e . g . small - sheet proteins like sh3 domains possess very unusual cd spectra ). interestingly , 24 out of 32 proteins classified as “ aggregated ” by nmr spectroscopy displayed cd spectra consistent with stable , folded proteins . this suggested that the aggregation mechanism for many of the nmr samples was due to surface interactions in the folded state , as opposed to aggregation of the exposed hydrophobic cores of unfolded proteins . knowledge of the aggregation mechanism is useful for optimizing solution conditions that disfavor aggregation and therefore , cd provides a useful secondary screen in structural proteomics projects . to better understand the contribution of protein stability to sample behavior , the thermal unfolding of 60 folded mt proteins was analyzed . of these , 22 were unfolded and refolded in a fully reversible manner . however , among the 19 proteins with “ excellent ” nmr spectra that were tested in this manner , only 9 refold reversibly . the others precipitated at high temperatures , demonstrating that even among well - folded , small , soluble proteins , reversible thermal unfolding in vitro was not a ubiquitous property . surprisingly , 8 proteins classified as “ aggregated ” by nmr were well - behaved in thermal unfolding experiments , indicating that these proteins were probably large discrete oligomers rather than non - specific aggregates . as expected for proteins from a thermophilic organism , those from m . th . all possessed high thermostability with transition midpoint temperature ( t m ) values between 68 c . and 98 c . due to their low change in heat capacity ( c p ) upon unfolding , small proteins are generally expected to have higher t m values compared to larger proteins . here , however , no correlation between the length of the mt proteins and their t m values was observed . the c p values of small m . th . proteins were within the expected range as compared to a large number of other proteins that have been investigated . these data suggested that except for their high thermal stability , the overall thermodynamic behavior of m . th . proteins studied here may be representative of other mesophilic organisms . the studies with methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum revealed that poor expression and solubility accounted for almost 60 % of the recalcitrant proteins . to identify the parameters that contributed to this poor sample behavior ( and other factors related to suitability for expression , purification , and structure analysis ), a retrospective data - mining approach was applied . sequence data from the ˜ 424 proteins and the biophysical and biochemical data ( expressability , crystallizability , solubility and melting temperature ) were used to compile a database . decision trees are useful for comprehensibly summarizing multivariate data and developing simple prediction rules . growing the trees requires devising strategies regarding which variables ( or combination of variables ) to divide on , and what threshold to use to achieve the split . the 53 “ splitting variables ” used were derived from simple attributes of each sequence ( e . g . amino acid composition , similarity to other proteins , measures of hydrophobicity , regions of low sequence complexity , etc .). the full tree classifying the proteins according to their solubility ( yes / no ) had 35 final nodes and 65 % overall accuracy in cross - validated tests . however , a number of the rules encoded within the tree were of much better predictive value . these are highlighted in fig1 . [ 0058 ] fig1 depicts a decision tree for discriminating between soluble and insoluble proteins . the nodes of the tree are represented by ellipses ( intermediate nodes ) and rectangles ( final nodes or leaves ). the numbers on the left of each node denote the number of insoluble proteins in the node , and are proportional to the node &# 39 ; s dark area . similarly , the numbers on the right denote the soluble proteins and are proportional to the white area . under each intermediate node , the decision tree algorithm calculates all possible splitting thresholds for each of 53 variables ( hydrophobicity , amino acid composition , etc .). it picks the optimal splitting variable and its threshold , in order for at least one of the two daughter nodes to be as homogeneous as possible . when a variable , v , is split , v & lt ; threshold is the left branch , and v & gt ; threshold is the right branch . the specific parameters used at each node and their thresholds for the right branches shown in the graph are in descending order ( from top root to bottom leaves ): hydrophobe & gt ; 0 . 85 kcal / mole ( where “ hydrophobe ” represents the average ges hydrophobicity of a sequence stretch , the higher this value the lower is the energy transfer ); cplx & gt ; 0 . 28 ( a measure of a short complexity region based on the seg program ); gln composition & gt ; 4 %; asp + glu composition & gt ; 17 %; ile - composition & gt ; 5 . 6 %; phe + tyr + trp composition & gt ; 7 . 5 %; asp + glu composition & gt ; 13 . 6 %; gly + ala + val + leu + ile composition & gt ; 42 %; hydrophobe & gt ; 0 . 01 kcal / mole ; his + lys + arg composition & gt ; 12 %; trp composition & gt ; 1 . 2 %; and alphahelical secondary structure composition & gt ; 58 %. note that two of the variables are conditioned on more than once ( hydrophobe , asp + glu ). the highlighted decision pathways terminate in highly homogeneous nodes ( mostly dark is insoluble , mostly white is soluble ). the shorter the decision pathway and the larger the number of cases in the terminal node , the less likely it is to over - fit the data . heterogeneous leaves could be further split ( dotted lines ) improving the error rate but risking over - fitting of the training set . the usual technique for assessing the predictive success of rules suggested by the tree in the context of overfitting is cross - validation , where the overall data set is divided into test and training components . however , this technique is not optimal on the relatively small samples associated with each rule in these trees , as one has to leave out a substantial fraction of information in devising each rule . the predictive values of the highlighted decision pathways are evaluated using a “ pessimistic estimation ” procedure which assumes that the error rate at each node is bionomially distributed , and then inflates the rate found on a tree based on all the data ( by − 2 standard deviations ) to arrive at a more realistic estimate . proteins that fulfill the following sequence of four conditions are likely to be insoluble : ( 1 ) have a hydrophobic stretch — a long region (& gt ; 20 residues ) with average hydrophobicity less than − 0 . 85 kcal / mole ( on the ges scale ); ( 2 ) gln composition & lt ; 4 %; ( 3 ) asp + glu composition & lt ; 17 %; and ( 4 ) aromatic composition & gt ; 7 . 5 %. this rule has a 14 % error rate in comparison to the default error rate of 39 % for choosing a soluble protein without the aid of the tree . the probability that it could arise by chance is 1 %, assuming one randomly chose the 24 insoluble proteins from the initial pool of 143 insoluble and 213 soluble proteins . these calculations are based on a “ pessimistic estimate for errors ”, taking the upper bound of the 95 % confidence interval . conversely , proteins that do not have a hydrophobic stretch and have more than 27 % of their residues in ( hydrophilic ) “ low - complexity ” regions are very likely to be soluble . this rule has a “ pessimistic ” error rate of 20 % in contrast to 39 % without the tree and a 1 % probability of occurring by chance . similar trees for expressability and crystallizability were derived . the composition of asn appeared to be relevant to crystallizability . in particular , an asn threshold of 3 . 5 % was able to select a set of 18 crystallizable and only one non - crystallizable protein from the initial set of 25 crystallizable and 39 non - crystallizable proteins . the techniques described herein have a wide variety of applications . for example , as described above , proteins have a wide variety of uses in their different forms . for instance , experiments often use proteins in soluble form . other protein uses depend on crystallized proteins . for example , many proteins , such as insulin , are best delivered in crystallized form . as described above , crystallized proteins are also used in structural proteomics . finding a useful protein crystal , however , can be a time and resource - consuming task . one strategy in obtaining a crystal involves screening a wide variety of solution conditions in the hopes of identifying conditions that will support crystallization . unfortunately , the conditions that may cause one protein to crystallize , leave another protein soluble . the time and cost of determining suitable conditions that yield a desired outcome may pose a significant obstacle when multiplied over the hundreds or even thousands of proteins of interest . [ 0062 ] fig2 illustrates an example of a data system that operates on the outcome ( e . g ., outcome 106 ) of a given protein 102 when subjected to a given condition 104 . the outcome 106 can be categorized , for example , as crystal , as soluble , or in some intermediate form such as precipitate or granular precipitate . analysis 120 of this data 100 , and potentially other data such as characteristics of the proteins 108 and / or of the conditions 114 , can yield a wide variety of useful information . for example , analysis 120 can predict an outcome of a new protein of interest subjected to a particular condition 114 based on the similarity of characteristics of the new protein with characteristics of other proteins . the data 100 , 108 , 114 can also identify relationships between characteristics of proteins and / or conditions that tend to lead to a particular outcome . by acting on predictive rules derived from the analysis 120 , researchers can enjoy a greater likelihood of success of obtaining a desired protein form with less guesswork . this may be particularly important when working with a scarce protein . in greater detail , fig2 shows a system that includes a database table 100 that indicates the outcomes of different proteins 102 in different conditions 104 . for example , the conditions 104 may include conditions 104 of the jancarik and kim screen ( jankarik , j . & amp ; s . h . kim . j . appl . cryst ., 1991 . 24 : p . 409 - 411 ). the outcomes may be determined based on human visual classification . the outcomes may also be determined via a machine system . such a system may make finer gradations in the determining of outcome or include information about the number , size , and / or morphology of crystals . the machine may also operate at different wavelengths — such as u . v ., where proteins absorb strongly , or x - rays , where proteins diffract . the system may also include a table 108 that lists different characteristics 112 of different proteins 110 . since characteristics 112 of a protein may contribute heavily to outcomes under different conditions , a system may use this information to probabilistically correlate one or more protein characteristics 112 with crystallization or some other specified outcome . the protein characteristics 112 may include empirically measured characteristics such as pi , secondary structure , amino - acid composition , oligometric state , protein mass , and / or protein mono - dispersity . the characteristics may also include determined characteristics such as characteristics derived from the protein sequence . these determined characteristics may include protein sequence , amino acid composition , predicted pi , net charge , ratio of one or more pairs of amino acids , mass , predicted secondary structure , and / or predicted tertiary structure . such characteristics 112 may also include an encoding of the 3d structure of the protein ( e . g ., a mathematical encoding of the protein &# 39 ; s surface ), identification of the concentration of the protein , identification of a function of the protein , and / or identification at least one location of the source of the protein ( e . g ., organ , tissue or sub - cellular localization ). the characteristics 112 may also include identification of additives ( e . g ., salts , buffers , and organic molecules ). the protein - condition outcome 106 may also depend on aspects of the condition . thus , the system may further include data 114 that identifies characteristics 118 of conditions 116 used in table 100 . for example , the table 114 may include characteristics 118 representing the contents of the condition 114 and / or the properties ( e . g ., ph ) of a condition 114 . the use of condition data may be used , for example , to identify conditions 114 highly correlated with a specified outcome . additionally , such data may be used to improve a given set of conditions . for example , some of the conditions of the widely used jancarik and kim screen may be highly correlated in that if a protein crystallizes in one of the conditions , then it is also highly likely to crystallize in the other . eliminating such redundancy can increase the overall efficiency of the screen and allows a wider diversity of conditions to be experimented with using the same amount of protein material . thus , such data may lead to a screen that crystallizes more proteins while consuming a similar amount of material . analysis 120 of the data 100 , 108 , 114 may proceed in many different ways . for example , the data may be analyzed to determine the efficiency of conditions in producing a selected outcome for some subset of proteins . for instance , the condition 104 outcomes for proteins sharing a set of characteristics 112 may be aggregated to determine a likelihood of attaining a particular outcome , for example , for a new protein of interest having these characteristics . this can reveal conditions more suited to producing a specified outcome . these conditions may be prioritized to identify those conditions with the greatest efficiency in yielding the desired outcome . this can result in the conservation of the amount of protein needed to obtain a desired form . a kit of conditions may be pre - fabricated for use by researchers based on these results . for example , after determining a prioritized set of conditions that maximize efficiency of crystallization , a kit including the top n conditions may be assembled for distribution . after a similar process , a kit including the top n conditions for maximizing the efficiency of solubility may be assembled , and so forth . similar to the process described above in conjunction with protein characteristics , data analysis may operate on the condition characteristics , for example , to identify condition characteristics likely to yield a particular outcome . the process may also operate on combinations of protein and condition characteristics , for example , to identify combinations of protein characteristics and condition characteristics likely to yield a specified outcome . the data 100 , 108 , 114 may be analyzed in a wide variety of ways and used for a variety of purposes . for example , patterns of solubility may act as a “ diagnostic ” of the protein &# 39 ; s behavior in adme - tox , assays , and protein interaction studies . similarly , patterns that result in solubility outcomes may be used to derive functional information about the protein such as small molecule bindings . more specifically the data 100 , 108 , 114 may be analyzed to determine one or more of the following : a prioritized set of conditions to maximize efficiency of crystallization of a protein ; a prioritized set of conditions to maximize protein solubility of a protein ; information ( e . g ., a predictive rule ) which relates aspects of a protein that may be derived from knowledge of the sequence to protein solubility ; information which relates aspects of a protein that may be derived from knowledge of the protein sequence to protein crystallization ; information that relates at least one experimentally measurable property of a protein sample to protein crystallization ; information that relates some experimentally measurable property of a protein sample to protein solubility ; information that relates ph to protein solubility ; information that relates the concentration and chemical nature of additives to protein solubility ; information that relates a protein &# 39 ; s 3d structure to protein solubility ; information that relates protein concentration to protein crystallization ; information that relates a protein &# 39 ; s function to protein solubility ; and / or information that relates a protein &# 39 ; s solubility behavior to that protein &# 39 ; s organ , tissue or sub - cellular localization . the analysis 120 may feature a variety of data mining tools such as statistical techniques that determine the interdependence of variables on protein - condition outcome . for example , statistical regressions may be run to identify protein and condition characteristics or sets of characteristics that highly correlate with crystallization , solubility , or other specified form . additionally , the data mining techniques described above , among others , may also be integrated . the techniques described herein are not limited to any particular hardware or software configuration ; they may find applicability in any computing or processing environment . the techniques may be implemented in hardware or software , or a combination of the two . preferably , the techniques are implemented in computer programs executing on programmable computers that each include a processor , a storage medium readable by the processor ( including volatile and non - volatile memory and / or storage elements ), at least one input device , and one or more output devices . each program is preferably implemented in high level procedural or object oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system . however , the programs can be implemented in assembly or machine language , if desired . in any case the language may be compiled or interpreted language . each such computer program is preferably stored on a storage medium or device ( e . g ., cd - rom , hard disk , or magnetic disk ) that is readable by a general or special purpose programmable computer for configuring and operating the computer when the storage medium or device is read by the computer to perform the procedures described herein . the system may also be considered to be implemented as a computer - readable storage medium , configured with a computer program , where the storage medium so configured causes a computer to operate in a specific and predefined manner . | 2 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , a combustion air supply blower 20 for a furnace is shown , according to the present invention . blower 20 generally includes blower housing 22 having housing members 22 a , 22 b , 22 c , and also includes cover 24 . housing 22 and cover 24 may be formed of stamped or formed metal , or may be formed of plastic via an injection molding process , for example . suitable plastics for housing 22 and cover 24 include polypropylene or other thermoplastics . housing 22 includes a generally cylindrical outer wall 38 and an inner wall 36 which defines a substantially hollow interior throughbore 34 . cover 24 includes a plurality of power cord apertures 25 for routing power cords ( not shown ) to motor and fan assembly 28 ( fig5 - 9 ). cover 24 may include pressure static tap 29 and housing member 22 b may include pressure static tap 31 . pressure static taps 29 , 31 are connected to a vacuum switch system ( not shown ) which prevents activation of a burner ( not shown ) of the furnace in the event that no airflow or insufficient airflow is present in housing 22 . housing 22 and cover 24 additionally include a plurality of mounting lugs 58 integrally formed therewith , which are disposed radially outwardly of outer wall 38 and spaced along the longitudinal length of blower housing 22 and cover 24 . mounting lugs 58 include threaded openings or passages 50 ( fig5 ) therethrough for receipt of fasteners 60 to attach housing members 22 a , 22 b , 22 c and cover 24 to each other , respectively . fasteners 60 extend through mounting lugs 58 a , 58 b to attach respective portions of blower 20 together . specifically , housing member 22 a is attached to housing member 22 c by aligning mounting lugs 58 a of housing member 22 a with mounting lugs 58 b of housing member 22 c and inserting fasteners 60 through openings 50 in mounting lugs 58 a , 58 b ; housing member 22 b is attached to housing member 22 c by aligning mounting lugs 58 a of housing member 22 b with mounting lugs 58 b of housing member 22 c and inserting fasteners 60 through openings 50 in mounting lugs 58 a , 58 b ; and cover 24 is attached to housing member 22 c by aligning mounting lugs 58 a of cover 24 with mounting lugs 58 b of housing member 22 c and inserting fasteners 60 through openings 50 in mounting lugs 58 a , 58 b . housing 22 includes input end 40 adapted to be operatively attached to an intake pipe ( not shown ) to communicate interior throughbore 34 of housing 22 with combustion air for a furnace . as shown in fig3 and 4 , housing 22 includes an integral exhaust end 43 which terminates in a circular exhaust outlet 44 defined by exhaust outlet edge 46 to which a tube or other duct structure ( not shown ) may be attached in a suitable manner , such as with clamps or other fasteners . as shown in fig5 - 8 , blower 20 also includes motor and fan assembly 28 having fan motor 30 and fan 32 and a support structure 52 . in operation , rotation of fan 32 by motor 30 draws air from an intake tube ( not shown ) through input end 40 of housing 22 and exhausts the air through exhaust end 43 of housing 22 . cover 24 is removably attached to housing member 22 c via fasteners 60 and mounting lugs 58 , as described above , and generally provides a removable cover for motor and fan assembly 28 . cover 24 includes semicircular grooves or recesses 57 ( fig5 ) which are shaped to mate with protrusions or ridges 55 ( fig5 ) on housing members 22 a , 22 b , thereby effectively sealing the connection between cover 24 and housing members 22 a , 22 b . cover 24 includes pocket lugs 62 a which define portions of pockets 56 and housing member 22 c includes pocket lugs 62 b which define portions of pockets 56 , such that when housing member 22 c and cover 24 are assembled , pocket lugs 62 a , 62 b together define pockets 56 . fan motor 30 includes extended bearing straps or support structures 52 extending laterally from motor 30 which have elastomeric boots 54 disposed thereon . fan motor 30 is positioned in housing member 22 c by positioning elastomeric boots 54 of straps 52 of fan motor 30 in pocket lugs 62 b . pocket lugs 62 a in cover 24 provide a complementary shape to securely and substantially enclose boots 54 in pockets 56 between housing member 22 c and cover 24 . it can be seen in the drawing figures that with the support structure 52 extending into the pockets 56 of the pocket lugs 62 of the housing 22 and cover 24 , that portion 5 of the pocket lugs 62 engage against laterally opposite sides of the motor and fan assembly 28 and portions of the pocket lugs 62 engage against longitudinally opposite sides of the motor and fan assembly 28 . the positioning of the boots 54 and the opposite ends of the support structure 52 in the pockets 56 holds the fan and motor assembly 28 in a laterally fixed position and a longitudinally fixed position relative to the housing 22 and cover 24 of the blower 20 . therefore , when cover 24 is attached to housing member 22 c , pockets 56 securely hold and capture boots 54 and straps 52 of fan motor 30 , thereby securing motor and fan assembly 28 in a laterally fixed and longitudinally fixed position within blower 20 . advantageously , no additional fasteners or brackets , for example metal brackets , are required to attach motor and fan assembly 28 to either housing member 22 c and / or cover 24 . moreover , boots 54 advantageously dampen any vibration produced by motor and fan assembly 28 in operation to provide a quieter operation of blower 20 . in use and referring to fig9 , for maintenance and / or removal of motor and fan assembly 28 , cover 24 is removed from housing 22 via removal of at least fasteners 60 from engagement with mounting lugs 58 b of housing member 22 c , a technician or other person may easily remove motor and fan assembly 28 from housing member 22 c by lifting straps 52 out of engagement with pockets 56 and removing motor and fan assembly 28 from blower 20 with relative ease . no fasteners hold the motor and fan assembly 28 in the blower 20 and therefore it is not necessary to remove fasteners from the motor and fan assembly 28 before removing the assembly from the blower . thus , maintenance , repair , and / or replacement of motor and fan assembly 28 are advantageously easily accomplished . furthermore , the technician may also easily access motor and fan assembly 28 after removal of cover 24 without removing motor and fan assembly 28 from the remainder of blower 20 . in this manner , motor and fan assembly 28 may be repaired and / or maintained while still positioned within housing member 22 c , after which cover 24 may be reattached to housing member 22 c to enclose motor and fan assembly 28 . to reattach cover 24 after repositioning and / or repair of a motor and fan assembly 28 , mounting lugs 58 a of cover 24 are aligned with mounting lugs 58 b of housing member 22 c and fasteners 60 are inserted through openings 50 in mounting lugs 58 a , 58 b . motor and fan assembly 28 is captured between cover 24 and housing member 22 c . motor and fan assembly 28 is not fixedly attached to either cover 24 or housing member 22 c and no separate bracket or fastener is required to hold motor and fan assembly 28 , thereby enhancing operation of motor and fan assembly 28 and providing easy removal of motor and fan assembly 28 . rather , motor and fan assembly 28 is sandwiched between cover 24 and housing member 22 c , thereby advantageously capturing motor and fan assembly 28 therebetween . optionally , a gasket or other seal ( not shown ) formed of a suitable resilient material , such as neoprene or epdm rubber , for example , may be provided between cover 24 and housing members 22 a , 22 b , 22 c to provide an air seal therebetween . advantageously , blower 20 of the present invention is simple to build . also , motor and fan assembly 28 requires no separate fasteners and / or brackets to attach motor 30 to blower 20 . the lack of any separate metal brackets to attach motor 30 advantageously affects the performance of motor 30 . furthermore , motor and fan assembly 28 is easily removed for cleaning , repair , maintenance , and / or replacement . moreover , no tools are required to remove motor and fan assembly 28 from blower 20 because a technician may simply lift motor and fan assembly 28 from blower 20 . while this invention has been described as having a preferred design , the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure . this application is therefore intended to cover any variations , uses , or adaptations of the invention using its general principles . further , this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims . | 5 |
fig1 shows a first power monitoring system i consist of two physically separate elements for measuring the current and voltage . the power monitoring system 1 comprises a current sensor 2 and a voltage sensor 3 . the power monitoring system is provided with a method for synchronising the timing of current and voltage measurements . the current sensor 2 and the voltage sensor 3 are connected over a wireless link 4 . fig2 shows the current sensor 2 in detail . the current sensor 2 element of the power monitoring system 1 consists of a clamp - on current transformer , measurement electronics and a wireless communications module , all of which is battery powered . the sensor is clamped around one of the electricity meter tails within the meter cupboard and measures the current drawn by the metered load . the current waveform is sampled over a set period of time , the sampled data being transmitted to the voltage sensing element once it has been acquired . the current sensor 2 comprises a current measuring device 11 , which can be clamped around a power line to measure the current passing through that power line . this is easy to install , and can be fastened into place even by someone who is not a qualified electrician as no exposure of live wires is necessary . the current measuring device samples the current in the power line periodically . the measurements made by the current measuring device 11 are passed to a first adc ( analogue to digital converter ) 12 , which converts the analogue signal to a digital one . the digital signal is then passed to the first communication module 13 which transmits the information wirelessly to the voltage sensor 3 . the current sensor 2 also comprises a first controller 14 and a battery 15 . in order to conserve battery power the sampling is performed periodically over a short time window . typically the current would be sampled over a few line cycles once a second . this allows the electronics within the current clamp to be in a low power state for the majority of the time , thus extending battery life . low power consumption can be achieved by sampling for shorter windows or at longer intervals at the expense of reducing the accuracy of the subsequent power measurement . however , by measuring the voltage as well as the current the overall system can achieve better accuracy than those systems that only measure the current . the current measuring device 11 works by measuring inductive effects in a ferrite coil . this is a suitable technique for measuring an alternating current , but will not work with direct currents . if an embodiment of the invention is used to monitor a direct current , or if greater accuracy is required , then other current measuring devices can be used , for example hall effect current measuring devices . fig3 shows the voltage sensor 3 in detail . the voltage sensor element 3 of this power monitoring system consists of a unit that plugs directly into a standard power socket outlet . the sensor unit consists of measurement electronics and a wireless communication module . the voltage sensor 3 comprises a voltage measuring device 21 that samples the voltage of the line to which it is attached , a second adc 22 for converting the resultant analogue signal into a digital signal , a second communications module 23 for receiving information wirelessly from the current sensor 2 , and a second controller 24 . the second voltage measuring device 21 is attached to a plug 25 which is suitable for attaching to a standard electrical outlet . the voltage sensor 3 draws the power it uses to operate from this plug 25 . the voltage sensor 3 further comprises a standard electrical socket 26 . the electrical socket 26 allows other electrical devices to be attached to the electrical outlet through the voltage sensor 3 and operate in the usual way . optionally , the voltage waveform present at the socket outlet is sampled over the same time period as the current waveform sampling and at the same periodic intervals . other correlations of current and voltage measurements are envisaged for example : the voltage sampling rate may be lower than the current sensing rate eg . every 10 minutes provided the corresponding current measurement can be identified . the voltage sensor element 3 can also draw power from the socket and so does not need to be battery powered . for this reason the voltage sensor element 3 is used to perform the calculation of power consumption , which requires more processor power than just measuring the current or voltage waveforms . the calculation of power consumption is performed by the power calculation module 27 and can be displayed on a screen 28 set into the front of the voltage sensor 3 . in order to achieve accurate power measurements the time windows over which voltage and current are sampled are preferably synchronised . synchronisation is achieved using the wireless communications channel . one node in the system transmits a synchronisation message that both the current and voltage sensor elements receive at the same time . this message is used to synchronise timers within each sensor element . the start of the sampling window occurs at a predetermined time after the synchronisation message event . a synchronisation message is sent at periodic intervals and determines the intervals at which sampling takes place . synchronisation is achieved by detecting the start or end of the transmission of the synchronisation message over the wireless communications channel . by detecting the presence of power within the radio frequency band of the communications channel the timing of the synchronisation message can be measured to within the required accuracy at both voltage and current sensor elements . starting the sampling window a predetermined time after the synchronisation event allows the synchronisation message to be processed to ensure that it is the expected message , thus validating the timing capture from the physical radio frequency channel . although any node within the power monitor system can send the synchronisation message , it is sent from the current sensor element 2 in this embodiment . the current sensor element 2 is battery powered and , to reduce battery power , is likely to be in a low power state most of the time . this low power state will include the wireless communications module being turned off . by having the current sensor element 2 send the synchronisation message it only needs to turn power on to the communications module when a synchronisation event is going to occur , or when the current sensor is transmitting the information it has measured about current flow , thus reducing unnecessary power consumption . in the first power monitoring system 1 , the beginning of the synchronisation message is the synchronisation event , as shown in fig4 . although the system described only details a current sensor element and a voltage sensor element , there are embodiments that include other elements . a display element may be included to provide a visual representation of the power usage . this display element may be a separate part of the system or may be integrated with the voltage sensor element . as in any such distributed system , the processing needed to calculate power consumption can be performed in any of the system nodes . the description above details the calculations occurring in the voltage sensor element as a means of increasing the battery life of the current sensor element , and thus the system as a whole . there may be other embodiments where it is more appropriate to perform these calculations in the current sensor element , or in a third element of the system . equally the timing synchronisation message can originate from any element of the system , as long as all elements can synchronise their timers to within the required accuracy . the frequency with which the power is sampled by the first power monitoring system 1 can be adjusted using the controls 16 on the current sensor 2 . using these controls the user can set the frequency of the synchronisation events and measurements . the user can hence increase either the accuracy or the battery life of the first power monitoring system 1 . the information on power usage collected by the power monitoring system 1 can either be stored to later access on the voltage sensor 3 or transmitted to some other device , such as a personal computer , either directly using a wireless link or over the internet via a wireless modem . fig5 shows a second power monitoring system 31 according to the invention . the second power monitoring system 31 comprises a current sensor 2 and a voltage sensor 3 as described above . the second power monitoring system 31 further comprises a separate display unit 32 . the display unit 32 is also battery powered and can be placed anywhere that is convenient . when the user activates the display unit 31 it sends a wireless signal to the voltage sensor , prompting the voltage sensor 3 to respond with information about power usage that the display unit 32 will then display to the user . the display unit 31 can also be used to set the frequency of the synchronisation events and measurements made by the second power monitoring system 31 . when the user adjusts this frequency , the display unit sends a wireless signal to the voltage sensor 3 , which in turn waits until the next synchronisation signal is received from the current sensor 2 . while the synchronisation signal is being transmitted the current sensor can also receive instructions wirelessly , and during this window the voltage sensor 3 transmits the instructions to change the frequency of the synchronisation events . in order to conserve battery power , the display unit will not display information or communicate with the voltage sensor 3 until the user requests it . in a third embodiment , a personal computer is used as a display unit for a power monitoring system according to the invention . | 6 |
fig1 a and 1b depict perspective views of an embodiment of the present device . a substantially planar member 102 can have a first surface and a second surface , said first surface having a protrusion 104 attached thereto . protrusion 104 can have an opening 106 for selectively receiving and securing a digital content drive 108 , as shown in fig1 a . in some embodiments the digital content drive 108 can be fully removable . however , in alternate embodiments the digital content drive 108 can be only partially removable from the protrusion 104 . in some embodiments the digital content drive 108 can frictionally engage the interior walls of the protrusion . however , in alternate embodiments any know and / or convenient mechanism can be employed to selectively engage the digital content drive 108 within the protrusion 104 . as shown in fig1 b , a protrusion 104 can have an interior female port 110 that can receive the male end 112 of a digital content drive 108 and / or any other desired usb or desired device . the substantially planar member 102 can be plastic , paper , cardboard , metal or any other known and / or convenient material for shipping through postal mail . the protrusion 104 can also be plastic , paper , cardboard , metal or any other known and / or convenient material . the exterior of a digital content drive 108 can be plastic , polymer or any other known / and or convenient material . in some embodiment the substantially planar member 102 can have any known and / or desired designs which can be indicative of use and / or can portray any desired image and / or contain any desired text . in still further alternate embodiment the substantially planar member can include an addressable region , a postage region and an identifier region . in some embodiments the addressable region can be comprised of a surface that can be easily marked using any known and / or convenient writing implement . in some embodiments the postage region can be comprised of a surface to which conventional postage can be adhered . in some embodiments the identifier region can include a bar code , stock keeping unit ( sku ) number , pictures , logos , isbn and / or any other desired information . in an alternate embodiment , the substantially planar member 102 can have a thickness at least a great as that of a digital content drive 108 . however in alternate embodiments , the planer member 102 can be thinner than and / or the same thickness as the digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments , the substantially planar member 102 can have an opening 106 on at least one side for receiving and securing a digital content drive 108 . in use , a digital content drive 108 can be inserted into the opening 106 of a protrusion 104 of the present device 100 . the male end 112 of the digital content drive 108 can be secured to an interior female port 110 of the protrusion 104 . in alternate embodiments the roles of male and female ports can be reversed and / or any alternate mating mechanism can be employed . when a digital content drive 108 is completely secured inside the present device 100 , the present device 100 can be sent through postal mail for secure transport of a digital content drive 108 . additionally , a user can write on or affix a label to the first and / or second surface of the substantially planar member 102 . in some embodiments the digital content drive 108 can be pre - loaded with any desired data and / or program and / or can be sold with loadable software and / or sold containing a software key which can be used to activate software downloaded and / or otherwise obtained elsewhere . in some embodiments the protrusion 104 can have an opening 114 that can allow a portion of the digital content drive 108 to extend through a section of the protrusion 104 other than the section where the male and / or female ends of the digital content drive 108 are accessible . in some embodiments the opening 114 can allow a mechanically operated mechanism to be operated such that the engageable portion of the digital content drive 108 can be selectively extended from the protrusion 104 . fig1 c depicts a group of alternate embodiments of the present device , including a magazine delivery system , a package mailing system , a name / id tag system , a software delivery system and a movie delivery system . in alternate embodiments , the digital content delivery device can be included in any known and / or convenient packaging and / or delivery system . fig2 depicts an embodiment of a magazine delivery system 200 . in the embodiment depicted in fig2 , the delivery system 200 can be comprised of a package 202 that can include a graphic / text region 204 , a display connection element 206 and a digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments the graphic / text region 204 can be a display that can be associated with the digital content stored on the drive 108 . moreover , in some embodiment , the graphic / text region 204 can access portions of the data stored on the drive 108 and display static and / or changing text and graphics depending on the contents of the drive 108 . in alternate embodiments , the graphic / text region 204 can be static graphics and / or text based that merely identifies the general content of the drive 108 . in still further alternate embodiments , the contents of the graphic / text region 204 can be controlled by an independent source and / or can be blank . in still further alternate embodiments , the graphics / text region 204 can be merely a region adapted to selectively receive an adhesive sticker containing identifying information that may be selectively and / or permanently adhered to the package 202 . in still further alternate embodiments , the region 204 may not be present . in the embodiment depicted in fig2 , the device includes a display connection element 206 . in the embodiment depicted in fig2 , the display connection element 206 is shown as an affixed element having a penetration such that the package 202 can be hung and / or displayed on a hanging form . however , in alternate embodiments the display connection element 206 can be permanently and / or removably coupled with the package 202 in any known and / or convenient manner and in any known and / or convenient location on the package 202 . in still further alternate embodiments , the display connection element 206 may be absent . in the embodiment depicted in fig2 , the digital content drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any known and / or convenient manner and have any desired features as described in with reference to fig1 - 1c . in some embodiments , the drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any one or more of the manner described above in relation to fig1 - 1c . fig3 depicts an embodiment of a video delivery system 300 . in the embodiment depicted in fig3 , the delivery system 300 can be comprised of a package 302 that can include a graphic / text region 304 , a display connection element 306 and a digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments the graphic / text region 304 can be a display that can be associated with the digital content stored on the drive 108 . moreover , in some embodiment , the graphic / text region 304 can access portions of the data stored on the drive 108 and display static and / or changing text and graphics depending on the contents of the drive 108 . in alternate embodiments , the graphic / text region 304 can be static graphics and / or text based that merely identifies the general content of the drive 108 . in still further alternate embodiments , the contents of the graphic / text region 304 can be controlled by an independent source and / or can be blank . in still further alternate embodiments , the graphics / text region 304 can be merely a region adapted to selectively receive an adhesive sticker containing identifying information that may be selectively and / or permanently adhered to the package 302 . in still further alternate embodiments , the region 304 may not be present . in some embodiments , the graphic / text region 304 can include a transparent and / or semi - transparent sleeve 308 which would allow a user to selectively insert a card containing any desired graphic , image and / or text . in the embodiment depicted in fig3 , the device includes a display connection element 306 . in the embodiment depicted in fig3 , the display connection element 306 is shown as an affixed element having a penetration such that the package 302 can be hung and / or displayed on a hanging form . however , in alternate embodiments the display connection element 306 can be permanently and / or removably coupled with the package 302 in any known and / or convenient manner and in any known and / or convenient location on the package 302 . in still further alternate embodiments , the display connection element 306 may be absent . in the embodiment depicted in fig3 , the digital content drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any known and / or convenient manner and have any desired features as described in with reference to fig1 - 1c . in some embodiments , the drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any one or more of the manner described above in relation to fig1 - 1c . fig4 depicts an embodiment of an audio and / or textural book delivery system 400 . in the embodiment depicted in fig4 , the delivery system 400 can be comprised of a package 402 that can include a graphic / text region 404 , a spine display element 406 and a digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments the graphic / text region 404 can be a display that can be associated with the digital content stored on the drive 108 . moreover , in some embodiment , the graphic / text region 404 can access portions of the data stored on the drive 108 and display static and / or changing text and graphics depending on the contents of the drive 108 . in alternate embodiments , the graphic / text region 404 can be static graphics and / or text based that merely identifies the general content of the drive 108 . in still further alternate embodiments , the contents of the graphic / text region 404 can be controlled by an independent source and / or can be blank . in still further alternate embodiments , the graphics / text region 404 can be merely a region adapted to selectively receive an adhesive sticker containing identifying information that may be selectively and / or permanently adhered to the package 402 . in still further alternate embodiments , the region 404 may not be present . in the embodiment depicted in fig4 , the device includes a spine display element 406 . in the embodiment depicted in fig4 , the spine display element 406 can be an affixed graphic / text region as described above , located on a separate face of the package 402 . in some embodiments , the spine display element 406 may be absent . in some embodiments the spine display element 406 can be coupled with the package 402 such that in a first position the spine display element 506 covers the connection port of the drive 108 when the drive 108 is in a retracted state and in a second position , the spine display element 406 leaves the connection port of the drive 108 exposed . in the embodiment depicted in fig4 , the digital content drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any known and / or convenient manner and have any desired features as described in with reference to fig1 - 1c . in some embodiments , the drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any one or more of the manner described above in relation to fig1 - 1c . fig5 depicts an embodiment of a software delivery system 500 . in the embodiment depicted in fig5 , the delivery system 500 can be comprised of a package 502 that can include a graphic / text region 504 , a spine display element 506 and a digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments the graphic / text region 504 can be a display that can be associated with the digital content stored on the drive 108 . moreover , in some embodiment , the graphic / text region 504 can access portions of the data stored on the drive 108 and display static and / or changing text and graphics depending on the contents of the drive 108 . in alternate embodiments , the graphic / text region 504 can be static graphics and / or text based that merely identifies the general content of the drive 108 . in still further alternate embodiments , the contents of the graphic / text region 504 can be controlled by an independent source and / or can be blank . in still further alternate embodiments , the graphics / text region 504 can be merely a region adapted to selectively receive an adhesive sticker containing identifying information that may be selectively and / or permanently adhered to the package 502 . in still further alternate embodiments , the region 504 may not be present . in the embodiment depicted in fig5 , the device includes a spine display element 506 . in the embodiment depicted in fig5 , the spine display element 506 can be an affixed graphic / text region as described above , located on a separate face of the package 502 . in some embodiments , the spine display element 506 may be absent . in some embodiments the spine display element 506 can be coupled with the package 502 such that in a first position the spine display element 506 covers the connection port of the drive 108 when the drive 108 is in a retracted state and in a second position , the spine display element 506 leaves the connection port of the drive 108 exposed . additionally in some embodiments , the package 502 can be opened and additional content can be added to the package 502 . in the embodiment depicted in fig5 , the digital content drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any known and / or convenient manner and have any desired features as described in with reference to fig1 - 1c . in some embodiments , the drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any one or more of the manner described above in relation to fig1 - 1c . in the embodiment depicted in fig5 , the drive 108 associated with the package 108 is depicted as being associated with a tether 508 . in some embodiments , the tether can be coupled with a device capable of either activating and / or introducing digital content on / to the drive 108 . fig6 depicts an embodiment of a nametag / id system 600 . in the embodiment depicted in fig6 , the system 600 can be comprised of a package 602 that can include a graphic / text region 604 , one or more connection elements 606 608 and a digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments the graphic / text region 604 can be a display that can be associated with the digital content stored on the drive 108 . moreover , in some embodiment , the graphic / text region 604 can access portions of the data stored on the drive 108 and display static and / or changing text and graphics depending on the contents of the drive 108 . in alternate embodiments , the graphic / text region 604 can be static graphics and / or text based that merely identifies the general content of the drive 108 . in still further alternate embodiments , the contents of the graphic / text region 604 can be controlled by an independent source and / or can be blank . in still further alternate embodiments , the graphics / text region 604 can be merely a region adapted to selectively receive an adhesive sticker containing identifying information that may be selectively and / or permanently adhered to the package 602 . in still further alternate embodiments , the region 604 may not be present . in the embodiment depicted in fig6 , the device includes connection elements 606 608 . in the embodiment depicted in fig6 , one connection element 606 is shown as an affixed element having a penetration such that the package 602 can be hung and / or displayed on a hanging element . additionally , hanging element 608 is depicted as being selectively couplable with connection element 606 . however , in alternate embodiments one or both of the display connection elements 606 608 can be permanently and / or removably coupled with the package 602 in any known and / or convenient manner and in any known and / or convenient location on the package 602 . in still further alternate embodiments , the display one or more of the connection elements 606 608 may be absent . in the embodiment depicted in fig6 , the digital content drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any known and / or convenient manner and have any desired features as described in with reference to fig1 - 1c . in some embodiments , the drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any one or more of the manner described above in relation to fig1 - 1c . fig7 depicts an embodiment of a card delivery system 700 . in the embodiment depicted in fig7 , the delivery system 700 can be comprised of a package 702 that can include a graphic / text region 704 , an internal message section 706 and a digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments the graphic / text region 704 can be a display that can be associated with the digital content stored on the drive 108 . moreover , in some embodiment , the graphic / text region 704 can access portions of the data stored on the drive 108 and display static and / or changing text and graphics depending on the contents of the drive 108 . in alternate embodiments , the graphic / text region 704 can be static graphics and / or text based that merely identifies the general content of the drive 108 . in still further alternate embodiments , the contents of the graphic / text region 704 can be controlled by an independent source and / or can be blank . in still further alternate embodiments , the graphics / text region 704 can be merely a region adapted to selectively receive an adhesive sticker containing identifying information that may be selectively and / or permanently adhered to the package 702 . in still further alternate embodiments , the region 704 may not be present . in the embodiment depicted in fig7 , the device includes an internal message section 706 . in the embodiment depicted in fig7 , the internal message section 706 can be , as in a standard card , a writable area located between a front and back , foldable cover . that is , the package itself can be folded like a card to have a front and back and two interior surfaces . however , in alternate embodiments the internal message section 706 can be permanently and / or removably coupled with the interior and / or exterior of the package 702 in any known and / or convenient manner and in any known and / or convenient location on the package 702 . in still further alternate embodiments , the internal message section 706 may be absent . in the embodiment depicted in fig7 , the digital content drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any known and / or convenient manner and have any desired features as described in with reference to fig1 - 1c . in some embodiments , the drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any one or more of the manner described above in relation to fig1 - 1c . fig8 depicts an embodiment of a brochure delivery system 800 . in the embodiment depicted in fig8 , the delivery system 800 can be comprised of a package 802 that can include a graphic / text region 804 , an internal message section 806 and a digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments the graphic / text region 804 can be a display that can be associated with the digital content stored on the drive 108 . moreover , in some embodiment , the graphic / text region 804 can access portions of the data stored on the drive 108 and display static and / or changing text and graphics depending on the contents of the drive 108 . in alternate embodiments , the graphic / text region 804 can be static graphics and / or text based that merely identifies the general content of the drive 108 . in still further alternate embodiments , the contents of the graphic / text region 804 can be controlled by an independent source and / or can be blank . in still further alternate embodiments , the graphics / text region 804 can be merely a region adapted to selectively receive an adhesive sticker containing identifying information that may be selectively and / or permanently adhered to the package 802 . in still further alternate embodiments , the region 804 may not be present . in the embodiment depicted in fig8 , the device includes an internal message section 806 . in the embodiment depicted in fig8 , the internal message section 806 can be , as in a standard brochure , written content located between a front and back , foldable cover . that is , the package itself can be folded in any known and / or convenient manner to have a front and back and any number of interior surfaces . however , in alternate embodiments the internal message section 806 can be permanently and / or removably coupled with the interior and / or exterior of the package 802 in any known and / or convenient manner and in any known and / or convenient location on the package 802 . in still further alternate embodiments , the internal message section 806 may be absent . in the embodiment depicted in fig8 , the digital content drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any known and / or convenient manner and have any desired features as described in with reference to fig1 - 1c . in some embodiments , the drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any one or more of the manner described above in relation to fig1 - 1c . fig9 depicts an embodiment of a catalog delivery system 900 . in the embodiment depicted in fig9 , the delivery system 900 can be comprised of a package 902 that can include a graphic / text region 904 , an internal message section 906 and a digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments the graphic / text region 904 can be a display that can be associated with the digital content stored on the drive 108 . moreover , in some embodiment , the graphic / text region 904 can access portions of the data stored on the drive 108 and display static and / or changing text and graphics depending on the contents of the drive 108 . in alternate embodiments , the graphic / text region 904 can be static graphics and / or text based that merely identifies the general content of the drive 108 . in still further alternate embodiments , the contents of the graphic / text region 904 can be controlled by an independent source and / or can be blank . in still further alternate embodiments , the graphics / text region 904 can be merely a region adapted to selectively receive an adhesive sticker containing identifying information that may be selectively and / or permanently adhered to the package 902 . in still further alternate embodiments , the region 904 may not be present . in the embodiment depicted in fig9 , the device includes an internal message section 906 . in the embodiment depicted in fig9 , the internal message section 906 can be , as in a standard brochure , written content located between a front and back , foldable cover . that is , the package itself can be folded in any known and / or convenient manner to have a front and back and any number of interior surfaces . however , in alternate embodiments the internal message section 906 can be permanently and / or removably coupled with the interior and / or exterior of the package 902 in any known and / or convenient manner and in any known and / or convenient location on the package 902 . in still further alternate embodiments , the internal message section 906 may be absent . in the embodiment depicted in fig9 , the digital content drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any known and / or convenient manner and have any desired features as described in with reference to fig1 - 1c . in some embodiments , the drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any one or more of the manner described above in relation to fig1 - 1c . fig1 depicts an embodiment of an advertisement delivery system 1000 . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 , the delivery system 1000 can be comprised of a package 1002 that can include a graphic / text region 1004 , an internal message section 1006 and a digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments the graphic / text region 1004 can be a display that can be associated with the digital content stored on the drive 108 . moreover , in some embodiment , the graphic / text region 1004 can access portions of the data stored on the drive 108 and display static and / or changing text and graphics depending on the contents of the drive 108 . in alternate embodiments , the graphic / text region 1004 can be static graphics and / or text based that merely identifies the general content of the drive 108 . in still further alternate embodiments , the contents of the graphic / text region 1004 can be controlled by an independent source and / or can be blank . in still further alternate embodiments , the graphics / text region 1004 can be merely a region adapted to selectively receive an adhesive sticker containing identifying information that may be selectively and / or permanently adhered to the package 1002 . in still further alternate embodiments , the region 1004 may not be present . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 , the device includes an internal message section 1006 . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 , the internal message section 1006 can be , as in a standard brochure , written content located between a front and back , foldable cover . that is , the package itself can be folded in any known and / or convenient manner to have a front and back and any number of interior surfaces . however , in alternate embodiments the internal message section 1006 can be permanently and / or removably coupled with the interior and / or exterior of the package 1002 in any known and / or convenient manner and in any known and / or convenient location on the package 1002 . in still further alternate embodiments , the internal message section 1006 may be absent . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 , the digital content drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any known and / or convenient manner and have any desired features as described in with reference to fig1 - 1c . in some embodiments , the drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any one or more of the manner described above in relation to fig1 - 1c . fig1 a and 11b depict an embodiment of a mailing package 1100 . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 a and 11b , the delivery system 1100 can be comprised of a package 1002 that can include a graphic / text region 1004 , a postage region 1006 and a digital content drive 108 . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 a and 11b , the graphic / text region 1104 can be adapted to be a writable region , such that a user can write a delivery and / or a return address within the region . in some embodiments the graphic / text region 1104 can be a display that can be associated with the digital content stored on the drive 108 . moreover , in some embodiment , the graphic / text region 1104 can access portions of the data stored on the drive 108 and display delivery and / or return address information . in further alternate embodiments , the graphics / text region 1104 can be merely a region adapted to selectively receive an adhesive sticker containing identifying information that may be selectively and / or permanently adhered to the package 1102 . in still further alternate embodiments , the region 1104 may not be present . in the embodiments depicted in fig1 a and 11b , the package 1102 can include a postage region 1106 . the postage region can be adapted to be bondable with standard postage . in alternate embodiments , the region may not be present . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 , the digital content drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any known and / or convenient manner and have any desired features as described in with reference to fig1 - 1c . in some embodiments , the drive 108 can be coupled with the package in any one or more of the manner described above in relation to fig1 - 1c . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 a and 11b , the package can include a slidable cover 1108 . in a first position , the slidable cover can allow the engagement portion of the digital content drive 108 to pass through the exterior surface of the package 1102 and in a second position , it can cover the engagement portion of the digital content drive 108 . fig1 depicts an in - store system that can utilize one or more of the packages 202 - 1102 described above . in some embodiments , a consumer 1202 can select an identifier 1204 for a digital product from a shelf and / or from a catalog and / or from any other physical location within a store and / or can retrieve and print and / or generate the identifier from any other source . the consumer 1202 can then take the identifier 1204 to any cashier and / or automated cash register device and pay for the desired content . after payment for the content has occurred and / or during the payment process and / or prior to the payment process , a package ( as described in detail above ) 1208 can be obtained and coupled either via physical tether or wirelessly and / or via any other known and / or convenient connection mechanism and the consumer - desired digital content can be activated and / or transferred to the digital content drive 108 on the package . simultaneously with the transfer / activation , prior to the transfer / activation and / or after the transfer / activation , the transfer / activation can be logged . the log can be used to invoice , bill and or record transfers / activations of the digital content and such information can be used to charge the store for the product . the charge can be instantaneous and / or can occur at any time prior or subsequent to the activation / transfer . the identifier 1204 and / or any other desired physical materials can then be placed in and / or on the package 1208 . the consumer / user 1208 can then use the digital content on any desired device 1210 and , if necessary , receive sensory output of the content on an output device 1212 . in some embodiments , the content can be audio / visual content and / or software capable of running on a computing system . however , in alternate embodiments the digital content can be any digital content . it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art , that the system described in fig1 can be implemented in various forms and or using various additional steps and / or can be implemented using fewer steps . fig1 depicts an embodiment of a method of digital content distribution comprising the steps of product selection 1302 , purchase 1304 , package selection 1306 , coupling 1308 , delivery / recordation 1310 1312 , transfer / activation 1314 , assembly 1316 and delivery to consumer 1318 . in step 1302 , a user / consumer selects a desired digital content product 1302 . in some embodiments , this can happen within a physical store and / or can happen in a virtual / online store via the internet . then in step 1304 , a user / consumer purchases the desired digital content product 1304 . in some embodiments , this can happen in a physical store with the consumer present and / or it can happen in a virtual / online store via the internet . in step 1306 , the retailer selects appropriate packaging for the desired digital content product and retrieves any desired additional contents and / or literature that may be packaged with the desired digital content product . in step 1308 , the retailer couples the packaging with a digital content delivery system . in some embodiments the couple can be a physical connection however , in alternate embodiments it can be a wireless couple and / or the couple can occur in any known and / or convenient manner which would allow the transfer of a signal between the system and the package . in step 1310 , transfer / activation of the product is authorized . in some embodiments , the authorization can occur via the internet at the time the content is transferred . however , in alternate embodiments authorization can be obtained prior to the transfer / activation . in step 1312 , the retailer records the authorization and can either accrue an invoice to the wholesale supplier and / or can immediately pay the wholesale supplier for the digital content product . simultaneously , prior and / or subsequently to the authorization and / or recordation , the system can write / activate the digital content product to the digital content drive 108 located within / on the package . in steps 1316 and 1318 , the components of the package are assembled and delivered to the consumer / user . in some embodiments , the digital content drive can be configured such that the data stored on the digital content drive can only be access for a fixed period of time and / or a maximum number of times . moreover , any desired security features can be implemented within the digital content to prohibit / restrict unauthorized use . by way of non - limiting example , the digital content could be encoded such that a maximum of 3 installations of a software package would be permitted . in an alternate , non - limiting example , in some embodiments the digital content of a movie could be configured to run for a maximum of 24 hours after the data is initially accessed . to those of ordinary skill in the art , it will be readily apparent that any known and / or convenient digital rights management method / mechanism can be employed due to the read / write capabilities of the digital content drive 108 . in some embodiments , the system can be automated . in alternate embodiments , the package 1208 can be pre - customized based on specific content and / or can contain any desired documents and / or items . while depicted as using usb connections in some figures , it will be readily evident to any person of ordinary skill in the art that the usb connection and / or device can be substituted with any known and / or convenient non - volatile memory / storage device . the execution of the sequences of instructions required to practice the embodiments may be performed by a computer system 1400 as shown in fig1 . in an embodiment , execution of the sequences of instructions is performed by a single computer system 1400 . according to other embodiments , two or more computer systems 1400 coupled by a communication link 1415 may perform the sequence of instructions in coordination with one another . although a description of only one computer system 1400 will be presented below , however , it should be understood that any number of computer systems 1400 may be employed to practice the embodiments . a computer system 1400 which may be implemented according to some embodiments will now be described with reference to fig1 , which is a block diagram of the functional components of a computer system 1400 . as used herein , the term computer system 1400 is broadly used to describe any computing device that can store and independently run one or more programs . each computer system 1400 may include a communication interface 1414 coupled to the bus 1406 . the communication interface 1414 provides two - way communication between computer systems 1400 . the communication interface 1414 of a respective computer system 1400 transmits and receives electrical , electromagnetic or optical signals , that include data streams representing various types of signal information , e . g ., instructions , messages and data . a communication link 1415 links one computer system 1400 with another computer system 1400 . for example , the communication link 1415 may be a lan , in which case the communication interface 1414 may be a lan card , or the communication link 1415 may be a pstn , in which case the communication interface 1414 may be an integrated services digital network ( isdn ) card or a modem , or the communication link 1415 may be the internet , in which case the communication interface 1414 may be a dial - up , cable or wireless modem . a computer system 1400 may transmit and receive messages , data , and instructions , including program , i . e ., application , code , through its respective communication link 1415 and communication interface 1414 . received program code may be executed by the respective processor ( s ) 1407 as it is received , and / or stored in the storage device 1410 , or other associated non - volatile media , for later execution . in an embodiment , the computer system 1400 operates in conjunction with a data storage system 1431 , e . g ., a data storage system 1431 that contains a database 1432 that is readily accessible by the computer system 1400 . the computer system 1400 communicates with the data storage system 1431 through a data interface 1433 . a data interface 1433 , which is coupled to the bus 1406 , transmits and receives electrical , electromagnetic or optical signals , that include data streams representing various types of signal information , e . g ., instructions , messages and data . in embodiments , the functions of the data interface 1433 may be performed by the communication interface 1414 . computer system 1400 includes a bus 1406 or other communication mechanism for communicating instructions , messages and data , collectively , information , and one or more processors 1407 coupled with the bus 1406 for processing information . computer system 1400 also includes a main memory 1408 , such as a random access memory ( ram ) or other dynamic storage device , coupled to the bus 1406 for storing dynamic data and instructions to be executed by the processor ( s ) 1407 . the main memory 1408 also may be used for storing temporary data , i . e ., variables , or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by the processor ( s ) 1407 . the computer system 1400 may further include a read only memory ( rom ) 1409 or other static storage device coupled to the bus 1406 for storing static data and instructions for the processor ( s ) 1407 . a storage device 1410 , such as a magnetic disk or optical disk , may also be provided and coupled to the bus 1406 for storing data and instructions for the processor ( s ) 1407 . a computer system 1400 may be coupled via the bus 1406 to a display device 1411 , such as , but not limited to , a cathode ray tube ( crt ), for displaying information to a user . an input device 1412 , e . g ., alphanumeric and other keys , is coupled to the bus 1406 for communicating information and command selections to the processor ( s ) 1407 . according to one embodiment , an individual computer system 1400 performs specific operations by their respective processor ( s ) 1407 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory 1408 . such instructions may be read into the main memory 1408 from another computer - usable medium , such as the rom 1409 or the storage device 1410 . execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory 1408 causes the processor ( s ) 1407 to perform the processes described herein . in alternative embodiments , hard - wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions . thus , embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and / or software . the term “ computer - usable medium ,” as used herein , refers to any medium that provides information or is usable by the processor ( s ) 1407 . such a medium may take many forms , including , but not limited to , non - volatile , volatile and transmission media . non - volatile media , i . e ., media that can retain information in the absence of power , includes the rom 1409 , cd rom , magnetic tape , and magnetic discs . volatile media , i . e ., media that cannot retain information in the absence of power , includes the main memory 1408 . transmission media includes coaxial cables , copper wire and fiber optics , including the wires that comprise the bus 1406 . transmission media can also take the form of carrier waves ; i . e ., electromagnetic waves that can be modulated , as in frequency , amplitude or phase , to transmit information signals . additionally , transmission media can take the form of acoustic or light waves , such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications . in the foregoing specification , the embodiments have been described with reference to specific elements thereof . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the embodiments . for example , the reader is to understand that the specific ordering and combination of process actions shown in the process flow diagrams described herein is merely illustrative , and that using different or additional process actions , or a different combination or ordering of process actions can be used to enact the embodiments . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense . it should also be noted that the present invention may be implemented in a variety of computer systems . the various techniques described herein may be implemented in hardware or software , or a combination of both . preferably , the techniques are implemented in computer programs executing on programmable computers that each include a processor , a storage medium readable by the processor ( including volatile and non - volatile memory and / or storage elements ), at least one input device , and at least one output device . program code is applied to data entered using the input device to perform the functions described above and to generate output information . the output information is applied to one or more output devices . each program is preferably implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system . however , the programs can be implemented in assembly or machine language , if desired . in any case , the language may be a compiled or interpreted language . each such computer program is preferably stored on a storage medium or device ( e . g ., rom or magnetic disk ) that is readable by a general or special purpose programmable computer for configuring and operating the computer when the storage medium or device is read by the computer to perform the procedures described above . the system may also be considered to be implemented as a computer - readable storage medium , configured with a computer program , where the storage medium so configured causes a computer to operate in a specific and predefined manner . further , the storage elements of the exemplary computing applications may be relational or sequential ( flat file ) type computing databases that are capable of storing data in various combinations and configurations . although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many additional modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the invention . accordingly , these and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 there is shown a perspective see - through view of the disposable test tube rack of the invention . the rack has a base 10 with a forward edge 12 and a rear edge 14 . mounted on base 10 is a test tube - supporting member 16 having an outwardly - facing surface 16a and a rear surface ( not numbered in the figure ). as shown in the figure , test tube - supporting member 16 makes an angle 18 with base 10 ; angle 18 may be between 10 ° and 90 ° and is preferably between 75 ° and 85 °. located on the outwardly - facing surface 16a of test tube - supporting member 16 is at least one preferably horizontally mounted adhesive strip 20 which possesses an outwardly - facing layer of adhesive material . adhesive layer 20 is covered by a protective strip 22 when the rack is not in use . protective strip 22 is made of a material which does not adhere well to adhesive strip 20 . such protective strips are well known to the art and are typically made of waxed paper or plastic . protective strip 22 is removed when the test tube rack is in use . test tube - supporting member 16 is attached to base 10 by any convenient means , such as glue or staples 24 as shown in fig1 . fig1 and 1b show that test tube - supporting member 16 is itself supported in position by orientable tabs 26 which are preferably cut from base 10 . tabs 26 fit into appropriately located slots 28 formed in test tube - supporting member 16 . at least one such tab and slot combination is employed to support member 16 , but two or more such combinations are preferably used . test tube - supporting member 16 and base 10 may be formed from two separate pieces of material as shown in fig1 a , and 1b , or they may be part of a single piece of material , appropriately folded , as shown in fig2 and 3 . in the preferred embodiment , adhesive strip 20 has adhesive material on both sides , the adhesive on the outwardly - facing surface of the strip serving to hold test tubes , and the adhesive on the opposite surface serving to bond adhesive strip 20 to test tube - supporting member 16 . such a double sided tape may be used alone provided that outwardly - facing surface 16a of test tube - supporting member 16 bonds strongly to adhesive strip 20 . in practice , however , double sided adhesive tapes capable of both holding and releasing test tubes may not bind strongly enough to test tube - supporting member 16 . it is therefore preferred to employ a second double - sided tape between adhesive strip 20 and test tube - supporting member 16 . this second tape is selected for its ability to bond tightly to both test tube - supporting member 16 and adhesive strip 20 . this second tape is preferably placed over slots 28 in test tube - supporting member 16 so that when tabs 28 are inserted into these slots , they ae held there . alternatively , a supplemental adhesive may be employed in slots 28 to hold tabs 26 . the test tube rack is preferably made of cardboard , but may be constructed of other suitable materials such as plastic sheet , or other materials such as wood , fiberglass , metal , etc . which would suggest themselves to those skilled in the art . the test tube rack possesses a number of advantages relative to previously known test tube racks . it is inexpensive , easily made in any desired size , and constructable from environmentally safe materials . since it folds flat in the preferred embodiment and several of the alternative embodiments , it is easily stored , a large number fitting in a small space . it is very easily set up for use , and easily folded down for storage . it is simple to use -- a test tube placed in contact with adhesive strip 20 is held positively on the rack until it is removed . it can hold many variously sized tubes at the same time because it has no holes or spaces into which the several sizes of tubes must fit . since the test tubes are held at a single point against the test tube - supporting member 16 , an unobstructed view of all the tubes is provided . it is easy to judge the colors of the test tube contents against the white background preferably employed for outwardly - facing test tube - supporting surface 16a , but where desirable for particular uses , the color of this surface may be changed readily . since test tubes are held on the rack in a positive manner , the rack may be moved or manipulated with all the tubes attached , and may even be inverted to dump all the tubes at once . the test tube rack is sturdy , but if it is broken or damaged , it is readily repaired with such simple expedients as tape and staples . finally , the unit is readily and safely disposable . many alternative embodiments of the test tube rack of the invention suggest themselves , some of these being shown in fig2 - 12 . in fig2 a base adhesive strip 30 is employed in addition to adhesive strip 20 , to hold test tube bottoms firmly in place . in fig3 adhesive strip 20 is wide , to provide a better grip in test tubes to be mounted on the rack . in fig4 the test tube rack is formed of a single sheet of construction material folded into a triangular shape , the bottom of test tube - supporting member 16 being attached to base 10 via a slot and tab arrangement as shown in the figure , or by any other mechanism . in this embodiment , vertical support for test tube - supporting member 16 is provided by that section of the construction material connecting the base rear edge 14 with the top of test tube - supporting member 16 . fig5 shows a triangularly shaped two - sided version of the test tube rack , in which each of the test tube - supporting members supports the other . fig6 shows that the test tube - supporting member 16 may be provided with a horizontal slot 32 adapted to receive and hold an appropriately shaped insert 34 carrying adhesive strip 20 . in this embodiment , the test tube rack itself could be kept for a long time and the adhesive strips replaced as they became ineffective . in fig7 it is shown that the test tube supporting member 16 may be buttressed by means of separate supporting braces 36 . fig8 shows a one - piece rack formed by bending a single sheet of construction material to form the base and the test tube - supporting member . fig9 shows a two - sided embodiment in which the test tube - supporting members are vertically oriented relative to the base , and mutually supporting . fig1 and 11 show circular and conical embodiments respectively , in which test tubes may be mounted from any direction . fig1 shows a four - sided box - type embodiment in which each of the test tube - supporting members is supported by the adjacent test tube - supporting members . the invention has been described and exemplified in terms of particular embodiments , but it is to be recognized that other embodiments and other related modes of operation will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art , and that such additional alternatives are considered within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of this application is not to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
referring to fig1 there is shown an adaptable programmable calculator 10 including both a keyboard input unit 12 for entering information into and controlling the operation of the calculator and the magnetic tape cassette reading and recording unit 14 for recording information stored within the calculator onto one or more external tape cassettes 16 and for subsequently loading the information recorded on these and other similar magnetic tape cassettes back into the calculator . the calculator also includes a solid state output display unit 18 for displaying alphameric information stored within the calculator . all of these input and output units are mounted within a single calculator housing 24 adjacent to a curved front panel 26 thereof . referring to the simplified block diagram shown in fig3 a - b , it may be seen that the calculator also includes an input - output control unit 44 ( hereinafter referred to as the i / o control unit ) for controlling the transfer of information to and from the input and output units , a memory unit 46 for storing and manipulating information entered into the calculator and for storing routines and subroutines of basic instructions performed by the calculator , and a central processing unit 48 ( hereinafter referred to as the cpu ) for controlling the execution of the routines and subroutines of basic instructions stored in the memory unit as required to process information entered into or stored within the calculator . the calculator also includes a bus system comprising an s - bus 50 , a t - bus 52 , and an r - bus 54 for transferring information from the memory and i / o control units to the cpu , from the cpu to the memory and i / o control units , and between different portions of the cpu . it further comprises a power supply for supplying dc power to the calculator and peripheral units employed therewith and for issuing a control signal pop when power is supplied to the calculator . the i / o control unit 44 includes an input - output register 56 ( hereinafter referred to as the i / o register ), associated i / o gating control circuitry 58 , and input - output control logic 60 ( hereinafter referred to as the i / o control ). i / o register 56 comprises a universal sixteen - bit shift register into which information may be transferred either bit - serially from cpu 48 via t - bus 52 or in parallel from keyboard input unit 12 , magnetic tape cassette reading and recording unit 14 , and peripheral input units 28 such as the marked card reader via twelve input party lines 62 . information may be transferred from i / o register 56 either bit - serially to cpu 48 via s - bus 50 or in parallel to magnetic tape cassette reading and recording unit 14 , solid state output display unit 18 , output printer unit 20 , and peripheral output units 28 such as the x - y plotter or the typewriter via sixteen output party lines 64 . i / o gating control circuitry 58 includes control circuits for controlling the transfer of information into and out of i / o register 56 in response to selected i / o qualifier control signals from cpu 48 and selected i / o control instructions from i / o control 60 . it also includes an interrupt control circuit 65 , a peripheral control circuit 66 , a printer control circuit 68 , and a display control circuit 69 for variously controlling the input and output units and issuing control signals qfg and ebt to i / o control 60 via two output lines 71 and 72 . these last mentioned control circuits variously perform their control functions in response to control signal pop from the power supply , i / o qualifier control signals from cpu 48 , i / o control instructions from i / o control 60 , and control signals from keyboard input unit 12 . interrupt control circuit 65 initiates the transfer of information into i / o register 56 from keyboard input unit 12 or interrupting peripheral input units 28 such as the marked card reader and issues a qualifier control signal qnr to cpu 48 via output lines 73 . peripheral control circuit 66 enables interface modules 30 plugged into the calculator to respond to information from i / o register 56 , control associated peripheral units 28 , transfer information to and / or receive information from associated peripheral units 28 , and in some cases initiate the transfer of information to i / o register 56 from the interface modules themselves . printer control circuit 68 and display control circuit 69 enable output display unit 18 , and output printer unit 20 , respectively , to respond to information from i / o register 56 . when a basic i / o instruction obtained from memory unit 46 is to be executed , cpu 48 transfers control to i / o control 60 by issuing a pair of i / o microinstructions ptr and xtr thereto . in response to these i / o microinstructions from cpu 48 , control signal pop from the power supply , control signals qfg and ebt from i / o gating control circuitry 58 , and i / o qualifier and clock control signals from cpu 48 , i / o control 60 selectively issues one or more i / o control instructions to gating control circuitry 58 as required to execute the basic i / o instructions designated by cpu 48 and issues control signals , ttx , xtr , qrd , and scb to cpu 48 via output lines 74 - 77 . the i / o qualifier control signals issued to i / o control 60 and gating control circuitry 58 by cpu 48 are derived from the basic i / o instruction to be executed . those qualifier control signals issued to i / o control 60 designate the specific i / o control instructions to be issued by i / o control 60 , while those issued to gating control circuitry 58 designate selected control circuits to be employed in executing the basic i / o instruction . memory unit 46 includes a modular random - access read - write memory 78 ( hereinafter referred to as the rwm ), a modular read - only memory 80 ( hereinafter referred to as the rom ), a memory address register 82 ( hereinafter referred to as the m - register ), a memory access register 84 ( hereinafter referred to as the t - register ), and control circuitry 85 for these memories and registers . the rwm 78 and rom 80 comprise mos - type semiconductor memories . m - register 82 of the memory unit comprises a recirculating sixteen - bit serial shift register into which information may be transferred bit - serially from cpu 48 via t - bus 52 and out of which information may be transferred bit - serially to cpu 48 via s - bus 50 . information shifted into m - register 82 may be employed to address any word in rwm 78 or rom 80 via fifteen output lines 106 . t - register 84 of the memory unit comprises a recirculating sixteen bit serial shift register into which information may be transferred either bit - serially from cpu 48 via t - bus 52 or in parallel from any addressed word in rwm 78 and rom 80 via sixteen parallel input lines 108 . information may be transferred from t - register 84 either bit - serially to cpu 48 via s - bus 50 or parallel to any addressed word in rwm 78 via sixteen parallel output lines 110 . the four least significant bits of information contained in t - register 84 may comprise binary - coded - decimal information and may be transferred from the t - register in parallel to cpu 48 via three parallel output lines 112 taken with s - bus 50 . the control circuitry 85 of the memory unit controls these transfers of information into and out of m - register 82 and t - register 84 , controls the addressing and accessing of rwm 78 and rom 80 , and refreshes rwm 78 . it performs these functions in response to memory microinstructions , memory clock pulses , and shift clock pulses from cpu 48 . cpu 48 includes a register unit 114 , an arithmetic - logic unit 116 ( hereinafter referred to as the alu ), a programmable clock 118 , and a microprocessor 120 . register unit 114 comprises four recirculating sixteen - bit shift registers 122 , 124 , 126 , and 128 and one four - bit shift register 130 . shift registers 122 and 124 serve as sixteen - bit serial accumulator registers ( hereinafter referred to as the a - register and the b - register , respectively ) into which information may be transferred bit - serially from alu 116 via t - bus 52 and out of which information may be transferred bit - serially to alu 116 via r - bus 54 . the four least significant bit positions of a - register 122 also serve as a four - bit parallel accumulator register into which four bits of binary - coded - decimal information may be transferred in parallel from alu 116 via four parallel input lines 132 and out of which four bits of binary - coded - decimal information may also be transferred in parallel to alu 116 via three parallel output lines 134 taken with r - bus 54 . shift register 126 serves as a sixteen - bit system program counter ( hereinafter referred to as the p - register ) into which information may be transferred bit - serially from alu 116 via t - bus 52 and out of which information may be transferred bit - serially to alu 116 via r - bus 54 . information contained in the least significant bit position of p - register 126 may also be transferred as a qualifier control signal qpo to microprocessor 120 via output line 135 . shift register 128 serves as a sixteen - bit qualifier register ( hereinafter referred to as the q - register ) into which information may be transferred bit - serially from alu 116 via t - bus 52 and out of which information may be transferred bit - serially to alu 116 via r - bus 54 . information contained in the five least significant bit positions of q - register 128 is transferred to i / o gating control circuitry 58 as five one - bit i / o qualifier control signals q00 - q04 via five parallel output lines 136 , and information contained in the six next least significant bit positions of the q - register is transferred to i / o control 60 as six one - bit i / o qualifier control signals q05 - q10 via six parallel output lines 138 . similarly , information contained in the seven least significant , the ninth and eleventh least significant , and the most significant bit positions of q - register 128 and information derived from the thirteenth , fourteenth , and fifteenth bit positions of the q - register may be transferred to microprocessor 120 as eleven one - bit microprocessor qualifier control signals q00 - q06 , q08 , q10 , q15 , and qmr via eleven output lines 140 . information contained in the twelfth through the fifteenth least significant bit positions of q - register 128 may be transferred to microprocessor 120 as a four - bit primary address code via four parallel output lines 142 . shift register 130 serves as a four - bit serial extend register ( hereinafter referred to as the e - register ) into which information may be transferred bit - serially either from alu 116 via t - vus 52 or from the least significant bit position of t - register 84 via input line 144 . information may also be transferred out of e - register 130 to alu 116 via r - bus 54 . register unit 114 also includes control circuitry 146 for controlling the transfer of parallel binary - coded - decimal information into and out of a - register 122 and the transfer of serial binary information into and out of a - register 122 , b - register 124 , p - register 126 , q - register 128 , and e - register 130 . this is accomplished in response to register microinstructions from microprocessor 120 , control signals ttx and xtr from i / o control 60 , and shift clock control pulses from programmable clock 118 . control circuitry 146 includes a flip - flop 148 ( hereinafter referred to as the a / b flip - flop ) for enabling the transfer of information into and out of either the a - register 122 or the b - register 124 as determined by the state of the a / b flip - flop . the stae of a / b flip - flop 148 is initially determined by information q11 transferred to the a / b flip - flop from the twelfth least significant bit position of q - register 128 but may be subsequently complemented one or more times by microinstruction cab from microprocessor 120 . alu 116 may perform either one - bit serial binary arithmetic on data received from t - register 84 or m - register 82 via s - bus 50 and / or from any register of register unit 114 via r - bus 54 or four - bit parallel binary - coded - decimal arithmetic on data received from t - register 84 via output lines 112 taken with s - bus 50 and / or from a - register 122 via output lines 134 taken with r - bus 54 . it may also perform logic operations on data received from memory unit 46 and / or register unit 114 via any of these lines . the arithmetic and logic operations performed are designated by alu microinstructions from microprocessor 120 and are carried out in response to these microinstructions , shift clock control pulses from programmable clock 118 , and control signal scb from i / o control 60 . information is also transferred from alu 116 to a - register 122 via output lines 132 or to i / o register 56 , m - register 82 , t - register 84 , or any register of register unit 114 via t - bus 52 in response to microinstructions and control signals applied to these registers . if a carry results while alu 116 is performing either one - bit serial binary arithmetic or four - bit parallel binary - coded - decimal arithmetic , the alu issues a corresponding qualifier control signal qbc or qdc to microprocessor 120 via one of two output lines 152 and 154 . programmable clock 118 includes a crystal - controlled system clock 156 , a clock decoder and generator 158 , and a control gate 160 . system clock 156 issues regularly recurring clock pulses to clock decoder and generator 158 via output line 162 . in response to these regularly recurring clock pulses from system clock 156 and to four - bit clock codes from microprocessor 120 , clock decoder and generator 158 issues trains of n shift clock pulses to alu 116 , m - register 82 , t - register 84 , and all of the registers of register unit 114 via output line 164 . these trains of n shift clock pulses are employed for shifting a corresponding number of bits of serial information into or out of any of these registers or for shifting a carry bit in the alu . the number n of pulses in each of these trains may vary from one to sixteen as determined by the number of bits of serial information required during each operation to be performed . in response to a control signal cco from microprocessor 120 , control gate 160 prevents any shift clock pulses from being applied to the alu or any of these registers . upon completion of each train of n shift clock pulses , clock decoder and generator 158 issues a rom clock pulse to microprocessor 120 via output line 166 and an i / o clock pulse to i / o control 60 via output line 168 . in response to the regularly recurring clock signal from system clock 56 , clock decoder and generator 158 also issues correspondingly regularly recurring memory clock pulses to memory unit 46 via output line 170 . microprocessor 120 selectively issues two i / o microinstructions to i / o control 60 via two output lines 172 , six memory microinstructions to memory unit 46 via six output lines 174 , thirteen register microinstructions to register unit 114 via thirteen output lines 176 , and five alu microinstructions to alu 116 via five output lines 178 . it also issues a four - bit clock code associated with each of these microinstructions to clock decoder 158 via four output lines 180 . these microinstructions and associated clock codes are issued as determined by the control signal pop from the power supply , the eleven microprocessor qualifier control signals from q - register 128 , the four - bit primary address codes from q - register 128 , and the five microprocessor qualifier control signals from i / o control 60 , interrupt control 65 , alu 116 , and p - register 126 . | 6 |
fig1 shows , as a matter of example , a multichip module substrate 10 on which a plurality of interconnect posts 12 are formed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention . the tops of the columns 14 of the posts 12 are adapted to be electrically and mechanically joined at suitable connection points 17 on an ic chip 16 by an appropriate conventional method such as soldering . a number of methods are available for joining interconnect posts to an ic chip , and the choice of method is not material to this invention . the bases 18 of the posts 12 may be connected to appropriate electrical circuitry by leads 20 . the leads 20 may have been previously formed on the substrate 10 , and they are , for the purposes of this invention , considered to be part of the substrate 10 . alternatively , leads 20 can be embedded within a layer of the substrate and connected to the posts using vias , as is well known in the art . fig2 through 8 illustrate the process of forming the posts 12 on the substrate 10 . the process begins ( fig2 ) by applying onto the surface of substrate 10 a first photoresist layer 22 of conventional positive photoresist dissolved in an organic solvent . the photoresist solution may be applied by any method well known to those skilled in the art , such as a conventional spin technique . the thickness of the layer 22 is such that when the solvent is evaporated by soft baking at about 90 ° c .- 100 ° c ., the layer 22 will have a thickness less than or equal to half the desired height of the posts 12 , and preferably equal to between approximately 15 % and 40 % of the desired post height . typical thicknesses for layer 22 range between 5 μm and 15 μm . as shown in fig3 the soft - baked layer 22 is next exposed to actinic uv radiation 21 of an appropriate wavelength ( e . g . on the order of 400 nm ) for a relatively short time . for typical positive photoresists , this exposure time is less than one - third of the photoresist manufacturer &# 39 ; s recommended ( or suggested ) exposure time for the resist layer &# 39 ; s thickness and soft bake conditions ( e . g ., time and temperature ). the exposure may be done through a mask 24 whose apertures 26 are of a substantially larger diameter than the diameter of post 12 . alternatively , the exposure may be a simple uv flood exposure of the entire first layer 22 . the brief exposure of uv radiation 21 causes the activator in the positive photoresist to partially decompose , so that the exposed portions of the layer 22 ( or , in the alternative , the entire layer 22 ) become somewhat soluble in the alkaline - aqueous developer solution . the exposure should be short enough to prevent interfering with the subsequent mixing of the layers &# 39 ; photoresist when the second photoresist layer is applied , or interfering with the ability of the second layer to adhere to the first layer . in the drawings , the partially solubilized portions of layer 22 are shown as dotted , while the still insoluble portions are shown as cross - hatched . in one practiced embodiment according to the present invention , the positive photoresist az4620 , manufactured by hoechst celanese is used for first layer 22 . the az4620 resist layer is exposed for less than about 20 seconds at an exposure level of 40 mw / cm2 ( for an integrated dosage of less than about 800 mw / cm2 - sec ), and preferably less than 5 seconds at the same exposure level ( for an integrated dosage of less than about 200 mw / cm2 - sec ). next , as shown in fig4 a relatively thick ( e . g ., 35 μm - 50 μm ) layer 28 of positive photoresist is applied on top of the layer 22 . preferably , layers 22 and 28 have common chemical components , such as the photo activator compound , although proportions of various components ( such as the fluidizing solvent ) may be modified to better achieve the desired coating thicknesses . the thickness of layer 28 is such that , after evaporation of the solvent by soft - baking , the total thickness of layers 22 and 28 will equal the desired post height . in the above practiced embodiment according to the present invention , second layer 28 also comprises the az4620 photoresist . when the exposed portion 29 of layer 22 comes into contact with the unexposed material of layer 28 , the photoactive compound and solvent of layer 28 begin to diffuse into the soluble area 29 of layer 22 . the diffusion rate is enhanced as the temperature of the layers is increased by the soft baking of layer 28 . if necessary or desirable to control the diffusion of these compounds , the layers may be heated independently of the soft bake process . the result of this diffusion is that the solubility of layer 22 is modified in such a way that the solubility of layer 22 in area 29 gradually changes from essential insolubility at the junction with layer 28 to partial solubility at the junction with the substrate 10 . the soft - baked layer 28 and the diffused area of layer 22 are now exposed to uv radiation 21 ( fig5 ) through a mask 30 whose apertures 32 are of substantially the same diameter as the diameter of columns 14 . the exposure time is substantially equal to or greater than the manufacturer &# 39 ; s recommended ( or suggested ) exposure time for the combined layer thickness and the soft bake conditions . this exposure results in the complete solubilizing of a downwardly tapered cylinder 34 of photoresist extending through the entire height of both layer 28 and layer 22 . for the above practiced embodiment using the az4620 photoresist and a combined layer thickness of 45 μm , an exposure time of 3 to 4 minutes is used , with 4 minutes being an overexposure . when the layers 22 and 28 are exposed to an alkaline - aqueous developing solution , the water - soluble material of the cylinder 34 is dissolved and removed . however , because the area 29 of layer 22 is partly soluble even outside of the cylinder 34 , and increasingly so in the downward direction toward substrate 10 , the developing solution eats horizontally into the layer 22 by a small amount adjacent the layer 28 , and increasingly toward the substrate 10 . the result of this developing step is the formation of an opening 36 in the resist layers 28 and 22 which has the shape of a cylinder with a generally uniform cross - section ( fig6 ). the opening 36 can now be filled with metal by electrolytic or electroless plating ( fig7 ). the plating step is usually terminated when the level of the filled metal reaches to within 1 μm of the aperture top in order to prevent lateral ballooning at the top . when the plating has been completed , a metallic post 12 of the shape shown in fig1 has been formed on the substrate 10 . in contrast to the aforementioned construction method where post segments are constructed on top of one another with separate spacer layers and separate plating steps , posts utilizing the aperture construction method according to the present invention can be formed by a single plating step , and thus may be of integral construction . such construction is less likely to fail when subjected to stress . after the post according to the present invention is formed in the foregoing manner , the resist is stripped ( fig8 ), and the structure of fig1 is ready for connection to another microelectronic component , such as an ic chip . although plating is the preferred method of depositing metal within openings 36 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that other methods can also be used . as well as constructing post structures , the method of the present invention may be used to construct other structures , such as trenches , pads , lines , and particularly those structures that have large thicknesses and / or features with large aspect ratios . fig9 through 12 show the aforementioned construction method where post segments are constructed on top of one another with separate plating steps , and illustrate the advantages of the invention . in the multi - segment construction method , a two - segment post 40 ( fig1 ) having first segment 42 and second segment 44 was formed by applying a first photoresist layer 46 to a substrate 48 , and exposing it through a mask 50 whose aperture 52 defined a solubilized portion 53 having the size and shape of the first segment 42 ( fig9 ). the layer 46 was then developed , and the resulting opening was filled with metal by plating ( fig1 ). next , a second photoresist layer 54 was applied and exposed through a mask 56 whose aperture 58 defined a solubilized portion 59 having the size and shape of the second segment 44 ( fig1 ). the layer 54 was in turn developed and plated ( fig1 ). any misregistration of the masks 50 and 56 causes a misalignment of the second segment 44 on the first segment 42 . such a misalignment is illustrated in fig1 and 12 . considering that the diameter of column 44 is typically on the order of about a dozen microns or less , a misregistration of one or two microns can cause significant problems . by contrast , the present invention makes misalignment impossible because the first exposure is too brief to fully solubilize the first photoresist layer , and because the second exposure more fully exposes a portion of the first layer which is self - aligned to the exposed portion of the second layer . fig1 illustrates the essential steps of the process of this invention in flow chart form . it will be understood that the process of this invention not only solves the alignment problem , but is much simpler because only a single developing and plating step is involved . it will also be understood that the inventive process is applicable to the formation of any high - aspect - ratio microelectronic structure in which it is necessary to maintain a generally uniform cross - sectional area throughout the height of the structure . while the present invention has been particularly described with respect to the illustrated embodiment , it will be appreciated that various alterations , modifications and adaptations may be made based on the present disclosure , and are intended to be within the scope of the present invention . for example , the invention may be practiced with other photosensitive materials besides positive photoresists , such as photosensitive polyimides . additionally , the invention may be used to form low - aspect ratio patterns in thick resists where the precise definitions of the pattern boundaries is required . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but , on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims . | 8 |
fig1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a stent 10 in accordance with the present disclosure . fig1 illustrates stent 10 in a furled small - diameter state ; it should be understood that stent 10 is expandable to a large - diameter state ( e . g ., by balloon catheter insertion and inflation / pressurization ). embodiments of stent 10 according to the present disclosure include an element 20 disposed in a coiled manner and extending in a longitudinal direction to define a longitudinal axis 22 of stent 10 . element 20 is coiled in the direction of axis 22 to form a number of central lobes 24 ( e . g ., each rotation of element 20 forming one lobe 24 ). in some embodiments , lobes 24 are equally spaced along the longitudinal direction of stent 10 or have a uniform coil pitch along stent 10 ( i . e ., a uniform distance between each coil ). however , it should be understood that the coil pitch may vary along one or more portions of stent 10 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , stent 10 also includes peripheral lobes 28 formed on one or more central lobes 24 . lobes 28 are formed by additional coils of element 20 during a coil rotation of a particular lobe 24 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , each central lobe 24 includes three peripheral lobes 28 . however , it should be understood that the quantity of peripheral lobes 28 formed along central lobes 24 may vary ( e . g ., a greater or fewer quantity ). further , in fig1 , each central lobe 24 includes peripheral lobes 28 . however , it should be understood that some central lobes 24 may be devoid of a peripheral lobe 28 , or some central lobes 24 may include a greater or fewer quantity of peripheral lobes 28 than other central lobes 24 . in some embodiments , stent 10 comprises longitudinal support rods 30 extending in the axial direction of stent 10 . for example , in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , stent 10 comprises three support rods 30 ; however , it should be understood that stent 10 may include a greater or fewer quantity of support rods 30 . in some embodiments , rods 30 may be located at substantially equal distances from each other as measured about a circumference or cylindrical plane formed by lobes 24 . however , it should also be understood that rods 30 may be located at unequal distances relative to each other . in some embodiments , element 20 and / or rods 30 may comprise a nonmetallic material , such as a polymer fiber or multiple polymer fibers . for example , in some embodiments , element 20 and / or rods 30 may be formed from poly - l - lactic acid ( plla ). however , it should be understood that other materials may be used to form element 20 and / or rods 30 . rods 30 may be attached or otherwise secured to lobes 24 using a variety of different methods or materials . for example , in some embodiments , rods 30 may be attached to lobes 24 using a plla material ( e . g ., plla dissolved in chloroform ) such that the plla mixture is used to glue or weld rods 30 to lobes 24 . in some embodiments , rods 30 may be ultrasonically welded to lobes 24 . rods 30 may be attached or otherwise secured to each successive lobe 24 along the longitudinal length of stent 10 or may be intermittently attached to lobes 24 as rod 30 extends along stent 10 ( e . g ., every other lobe 24 , every third lobe 24 , or at other uniform or non - uniform spacing intervals ). further , in some embodiments , rods 30 may be attached and / or otherwise secured to external sides of lobes 24 ; however , it should be understood that rods 30 may be attached and / or otherwise secured to internal sides of lobes 24 . for example , in some embodiments , rods 30 may be woven or intermittently transition from an external location to an internal location of stent 10 relative to lobes 24 as rods 30 extend along the longitudinal length of stent 10 . for example , and not by way of limitation , rod 30 may be secured to stent 10 by attaching rod 30 to an exterior surface of a first and second lobe 24 , to an interior surface of the third lobe 24 , to the exterior surface of the fourth and fifth lobes , etc . thus , rods 30 may weave inwardly and outwardly between interior and exterior areas of stent as rods 30 extend in the longitudinal direction according to a uniform or non - uniform pattern . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , stent 10 is formed as a dual opposing helical stent 10 . for example , in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , stent 10 is formed by member 20 having an end located and / or initiating at proximal end 40 of stent 10 and forming successive coils ( forming lobes 24 and lobes 28 ) as member 20 advances in the axial direction 41 toward a distal end 42 of stent 10 . at distal end 42 of stent , member 20 returns and / or is coiled in a direction 43 toward proximal end 40 forming successive coils ( forming lobes 24 and lobes 28 ) as member 20 advances in the axial direction 43 toward proximal end 40 . in fig1 , member 20 is wound in the same rotational direction ( i . e ., clockwise or counterclockwise ) for forming coils in the directions 41 and 43 ( e . g ., clockwise winding in the direction 41 , followed by clockwise winding in the direction 43 ). in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , member 20 comprises a continuous element such that coils in both directions 41 and 43 are formed from a continuous member 20 . however , it should be understood that in some embodiments , the coils formed in direction 41 may be formed from one or members 20 , where the coils formed in direction 43 may be formed by one or more different members 20 . fig2 is a diagram illustrating an end view of stent 10 illustrated in fig1 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , stent 10 comprises three rods 30 1 - 3 located at an equal spacing relative to each other . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 , rod 30 1 is attached to an interior surface of lobe 24 . further , in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 , peripheral coils 28 extend radially inward and are located at equal circumferential spacing relative to each other . further , in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 , peripheral lobes 28 formed as member 20 is coiled in opposing directions along stent 10 ( e . g ., extending from end 40 to end 42 , then from end 42 to end 40 ) are located at substantially the same positions . fig3 is a diagram illustrating an end view of another embodiment of stent 10 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 , stent 10 comprises rods 30 4 - 9 attached to exterior sides of lobes 24 . in fig4 , some of rods 30 4 - 9 are located at unequal distances relative to each other as measured along the cylindrical plane formed by lobes 24 . for example , in fig3 , a set of rods 30 4 , 30 6 and 30 8 are located substantially equidistant from each other as measured along the cylindrical plane of stent 10 , and rods 30 5 , 30 7 and 30 9 are located substantially equidistant from each other as measured along the cylindrical plane of stent 10 . however , each set of rods 30 are offset slightly from each other such that the distance between rods 30 4 and 30 5 , for example , is less than the distance between rods 30 4 and 30 9 . thus , it should be understood that the spacing of rods 30 on stent may vary . fig4 is a diagram illustrating an end view of another embodiment of stent 10 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig4 , peripheral lobes 28 formed while member 20 is coiled in direction 41 are positioned at different locations than lobes 28 formed as member 20 is coiled in the direction 43 . for example , referring to fig1 and 4 , as member 20 is coiled in direction 41 , peripheral lobes 28 are formed at the positions indicated in fig4 by 281 - 283 . as member 20 is coiled in the direction 43 from end 42 toward end 40 , peripheral lobes 28 are formed at the positions indicated in fig4 by 284 - 286 . thus , in some embodiments , lobes 28 formed as member 20 is coiled in direction 41 may be offset from the positions of lobes 28 formed as member 20 is coiled in direction 43 . in fig4 , lobes 28 are illustrated having an equal spacing there between ( e . g ., corresponding to each coil direction ). however , it should be understood that the spacing between lobes 28 may vary ( e . g ., for each individual lobe 28 and / or between coil directions 41 or 43 ). in some embodiments , stent 10 is formed on a mandrel or other type of coil or winding tool to facilitate coiling of member 20 to form lobes 24 and 28 and / or to facilitate attachment of rods 30 . in some embodiments , while stent 10 is located on such tool or mandrel , stent 10 is annealed to enable shape retention of stent as well as to align and / or otherwise form polymer chain orientation characteristics . for example , in a plla application , stent 10 may be annealed at a temperature slightly above a glass transition temperature for a desired time period ( e . g ., 62 ° celsius to 90 ° celsius for approximately twenty - five minutes ). stent 10 may then be allowed to cool to room temperature for some period of time ( e . g ., eighteen hours ). however , it should be understood that the annealing process may be varied , especially for different types of stent materials . fig5 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of stent 10 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig5 , stent 10 comprises lobes 24 , lobes 28 and rods 30 . in fig5 , stent 10 is formed as a counter coil helical stent 10 . for example , in the embodiment illustrated in fig5 , stent 10 is formed by member 20 having an end located and / or initiating at proximal end 40 of stent 10 and forming successive coils ( forming lobes 24 and lobes 28 ) as member 20 advances in direction 41 toward distal end 42 of stent 10 . at distal end 42 of stent , member 20 returns and / or is coiled in direction 43 toward proximal end 40 forming successive coils ( forming lobes 24 and lobes 28 ) as member 20 advances in the direction 43 toward proximal end 40 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig5 , member 20 is coiled or wound in one rotational direction for forming coils as member 20 is moved in direction 41 and is coiled or wound in an opposite rotational direction for forming coils as member 20 is moved in direction 43 toward end 40 . for example , in some embodiments , the coils formed as member 20 is moved in direction 41 result from winding member 20 in the direction indicated by 50 ( i . e ., clockwise ). the coils formed as member 20 is moved in direction 43 result from winding member 20 in the direction indicated by 52 ( i . e ., counterclockwise ). as described above in connection with fig1 - 4 , the spacing , quantity and locations of lobes 28 and / or rods 30 may vary . in the embodiment illustrated in fig5 , member 20 comprises a continuous element such that coils in both directions 41 and 43 are formed from a continuous member 20 . however , it should be understood that in some embodiments , the coils formed in direction 41 may be formed from one or members 20 , where the coils formed in direction 43 may be formed by one or more different members 20 . fig6 is a diagram illustrating another embodiment of stent 10 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 , stent 10 comprises lobes 24 , lobes 28 and rods 30 . in fig6 , lobes 28 are formed to lie substantially in the cylindrical plane formed by lobes 24 . for example , fig7 is a diagram illustrating an end view of stent 10 illustrated in fig6 . as illustrated in fig7 , peripheral lobes 28 are formed to lie and / or reside substantially in the cylindrical plane formed by lobes 24 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 and 7 , stent 10 includes three lobes 28 per turn or coil ( e . g ., per lobe 24 ). however , the quantity and / or spacing of lobes 28 within a particular lobe 24 may vary . further , the quantity , spacing and / or place of attachment of rods 30 ( e . g ., interior surface or exterior surface of lobes 24 ) may vary . as described above , stent 10 may be annealed to secure and / or otherwise maintain the positioning of lobes 28 substantially within the cylindrical plane of stent 10 , thereby reducing the likelihood that lobes 28 would interfere and / or obstruct the insertion of a delivery catheter into the interior area of stent 10 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 , stent 10 also comprises a bifurcated area or portion 60 . for example , in some embodiments , stent 10 may be formed such that the axial pitch between successive coils in a medial portion of stent 10 is increased , thereby resulting in a location where another stent may be attached to and / or inserted through a wall of stent 10 . for example , in some embodiments , the bifurcated portion 60 is formed such that the axial pitch between successive coils is large enough to accommodate a branch stent attachment to stent 10 and / or insertion of another stent through portion 60 ( e . g ., into a branching vessel ). the medial location of portion 60 along stent 10 may vary ( e . g ., closer to end 40 , closer to end 42 , or anywhere in between ). it should also be understood that bifurcated portion 60 may be included in the embodiments of stent 10 illustrated and described in connection with fig1 and 5 . in some embodiments , peripheral lobes 28 are formed having a generally circular form . however , it should be understood that the shape of lobes 28 may vary ( e . g ., elliptical , rhomboidal , or other non - circular shape ). further , the size of lobes 24 and / or lobes 28 may vary . in some embodiments , a radio - opaque material may be used in stent 10 to enable x - ray and / or fluoroscopic identification of stent 10 during delivery or deployment . for example , in some embodiments , barium sulfate , water - soluble iodine and / or other materials may be laced or loaded into the polymer material used to form member 10 and / or rods 30 . in some embodiments , a radio - opaque material may be used in combination with a plla material ( e . g ., plla dissolved in chloroform ) such that the plla mixture having a radio - opaque material loaded therein is used to glue or weld rods 30 to lobes 24 , thereby providing fluoroscopic visibility of stent 10 . in some embodiments , a radio - opaque material may be attached to stent , such as securing a radio - opaque metal ( e . g ., platinum ) to rod ( s ) 30 and / or member 10 . the radio - opaque material may be attached using a plla material or other type of attachment mechanism . further , in some embodiments , a radio - opaque sheath may be used with stent 10 . for example , in some embodiments , a film comprised of a plla material loaded with a radio - opaque material is wrapped partially or entirely around stent 10 to enable x - ray and / or fluoroscopic identification of stent 10 during delivery or deployment . thus , embodiments of the present disclosure provide a flexible , expandable stent that enables increased ease and flexibility of delivery and expansion . further , embodiments of the present disclosure provide a stent with excellent mechanical properties while providing plastic deformation . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” and / or “ comprising ,” when used in this specification , specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . the corresponding structures , materials , acts , and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure , material , or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed . the description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . | 0 |
turning now to the figures , there is shown in fig1 a cleaning apparatus 1 according to one aspect of the present invention . the cleaning apparatus comprises a tubular mandrel 2 which is adapted for lowering into a production tubing in a well bore . a typical inner diameter for production tubing is 2⅞ th inch or 3½ inch . the embodiment described below is adapted for use in production tubing having a 2⅞ th inch inner diameter . in the embodiment shown , two cleaning assemblies 3 carrying scraper blocks 4 are mounted on the mandrel 2 . the scraper blocks may be manufactured from hardened steel or any other suitable material . each scraper block 4 has a plurality of scraper blades 5 formed thereon . the scraper blades extend outwardly from the mandrel and may be of a known type . the cleaning assemblies 3 are spring loaded via springs ( now shown ) which act to bias the cleaning assemblies outwardly from the mandrel such that the walls of the production tubing are contacted by the scraper blades 5 but allow the cleaning assemblies 3 to retract towards the mandrel of the apparatus against the spring force . the upper and lower faces of the cleaning assemblies may be chamfered to allow for a smooth passage of the apparatus through the production tubing . in the embodiment shown , four scraper blocks 4 are mounted in a respective recess in each cleaning assembly and are equi - spaced around the circumference . the two cleaning assemblies 3 are spaced apart on the mandrel 2 of the cleaning apparatus through an annular collar 6 . the cleaning assemblies 3 may be centred on the mandrel or may alternatively be mounted closer to one end of the mandrel than the other . a retaining ring 7 is mounted on either end of the mandrel 2 , at the end of each cleaning assembly 3 remote from the collar 6 . a bushing 8 which may be an elongate brass collar which fits tightly to the outer surface of the mandrel is mounted on each end of the mandrel adjacent the retaining rings 7 . a stabiliser 9 is mounted on the mandrel 2 over each bushing 8 such that the mandrel of the cleaning apparatus can rotate with respect to the stabilisers 9 . each stabiliser 9 comprises a substantially tubular body 10 formed of spring steel . the upper and lower ends of the stabilisers are provided with a substantially horizontal annular flange 11 . each flange has a rim 12 which extends into the body 10 of the stabilisers substantially perpendicularly to the flanges 11 . the inner diameter of the flanges in the embodiment shown is about 2 . 188 inch and the outer diameter is about 2 . 562 inch the upper and lower flanges 11 are spanned by a web of spars 13 which in the embodiment shown are integral with the flanges . the spars are substantially rectangular in shape and in the embodiment shown are equi - spaced around the stabiliser 9 . in this embodiment , the spaces between the spars 13 are about 1 . 875 inch in length and about 0 . 25 inch in width . the spars of the stabiliser bow outwards between the flanges 11 such that the outer diameter of the stabiliser 9 at the widest part is about 2 . 874 inch . a locking ring 14 is provided on the mandrel 2 behind the bushing 8 to retain the stabiliser 9 in position upon the bushing . the leading end of the locking ring may have an internal thread ( not shown ) to allow the locking ring 14 to be tightened upon an external thread ( not shown ) provided on the outer surface of the mandrel 2 . a sealing ring 15 such as an o - ring may be mounted behind the locking ring 14 to retain the locking ring in position . on assembly of the cleaning apparatus 1 , the locking rings 14 are mounted adjacent the stabilisers 9 at a position which allows for an increase in the length of the stabilisers during elastic deformation as will be described further below . as the cleaning apparatus 1 is inserted into production tubing , the cleaning assemblies 3 operate in a known manner to scrape the inner surface of the production tubing thereby removing debris from the inner surface to prevent fouling of equipment in the tubing . the outer diameter of the stabilisers 9 is selected to closely match the diameter of the production tubing to ensure that the stabilisers maintain the cleaning apparatus 1 centrally within the production tubing particularly when used in wells with high angles or in horizontal wells . whilst the stabilisers 9 do not rotate within the production tubing , by mounting the stabilisers 9 on a bushing 8 , this allows the mandrel 2 of the cleaning assembly to rotate with respect to the stabilisers 9 . this allows the entire surface of the production tubing to be scraped by one or other of the scraper blocks 4 as the mandrel rotates . the cleaning apparatus is also subjected to reduced torq and vibrational forces . therefore less energy is required to control the cleaning apparatus 1 during the cleaning operation than with known cleaning tools . additionally as the mandrel 2 of the cleaning apparatus rotates with respect to the stabilisers 9 rather than the stabilisers rotating within the production tubing , this reduces wear on the inner surface of the production tubing . when the cleaning apparatus 1 encounters an interruption in the inner surface of the production tubing , such as passing through a nipple between two adjacent risers in the production string where the inner diameter of the production tubing is reduced , the stabilisers 9 elastically deform from the rest position in which the spars 13 bow outwardly between the upper and lower flanges 11 , to the dynamic position in which the outer diameter of the stabilisers 9 reduces as required to allow the stabilisers and the cleaning apparatus to pass the restriction . the outer diameter of the stabilisers 9 may reduce to the outer diameter of the flanges 11 of the stabilisers if required . the overall length of the stabilisers 9 increases slightly to accommodate the elastic deformation and the spacing between the stabilisers 9 and the locking rings 14 accommodates this increase in length . furthermore , and if required , the outer diameter of the stabiliser 9 can be compressed substantially flat such that is of substantially equal diameter to the rest of the cleaning apparatus 1 outer diameter at which point the length of the stabilisers 9 will substantially equal the distance between the retaining ring 7 and the respective locking ring 14 . in the embodiment described , the outer diameter of the stabilisers 9 reduces from 2⅞ inch to 2 9 / 16 inch thereby allowing the cleaning apparatus 1 to pass the restriction and on into the next adjacent piece of production tubing . as each stabiliser 9 clears the restriction , the spars 13 elastically return to their rest position . in the embodiment described above , the cleaning apparatus 1 is adapted for use in production tubing having a 2⅞ inch diameter . where the cleaning apparatus is to be used within production tubing of different diameters , such as 3½ inch diameter tubing , the dimensions of the stabilisers 9 will be altered as appropriate to retain the same operational effects as described . in the embodiment described above , scraper blocks 4 are mounted to the cleaning assemblies 3 . however , it is envisaged that the scraper blocks 4 may be changed for bristle blocks ( not shown ). in this case , the bristle blocks may be manufactured from steel or materials as required . the bristles themselves may be manufactured from spring steel , phosphor , bronze or nylon and may be provided in a configuration which allows debris to pass between the bristles with circulating fluid . it is to be understood that any number of cleaning assemblies 3 and cleaning blocks 4 may be provided on the mandrel of the cleaning apparatus . furthermore , the number of stabilisers provided on the apparatus may be altered to fit the specific requirements of the cleaning apparatus . a single stabiliser may be provided in some applications . modifications and improvements may be made to the embodiments hereinbefore described without departing from the scope of the invention . | 4 |
in the following detailed description , only the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described , simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by the inventor ( s ) of carrying out the invention . as will be realized , the invention is capable of modification in various obvious respects , all without departing from the invention . accordingly , the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature , and not restrictive . to clarify the present invention , parts which are not described in the specification are omitted , and parts for which similar descriptions are provided have the same reference numerals . first , a heterodyne receiver for low noise and image frequency repression according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to fig9 . fig9 is a circuit diagram showing construction of a frequency converter in a heterodyne receiver for low noise and image frequency repression according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig9 , the heterodyne receiver for low noise and image frequency repression according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises an amplifier and a frequency converter including a local oscillation circuit and a mixer circuit 100 . in fig9 , m 1 is an n - mos fet of a drive 110 ; m 2 and m 3 are n - mos fets of a switch 120 ; rf in is an rf input signal ; if out is an intermediate frequency output signal ; v g is a bias voltage of a gate ; vdd is a voltage of dc power ; r g is a resistor for cutting off or breaking the rf signal ; l 1 is an inductor for a filter 115 and c 1 is a capacitor for the filter 115 ; lo in is an input signal of a local oscillator ; i dc is a bleeding current ; and l 2 , l 3 , c 2 , and c 3 are a power combiner for converting a differential output to a single output . the local oscillation circuit outputs a local oscillation signal having a stable oscillation frequency and low harmonic content , and the mixer circuit 100 converts the difference in frequency between an input signal outputted from the amplifier and the local oscillation signal to a predetermined intermediate frequency . the mixer circuit comprises the drive 110 , the switch 120 , and the intermediate output section 130 . the drive 110 receives the input signal and the local oscillation signal and performs a filtering function for image frequency repression and low noise . the switch 120 switches signals outputted from the drive over time and transfers the signals to the output section 130 . the intermediate output section 130 outputs the signal at the intermediate frequency from the input signal and the local oscillation signal by using a switching operation of the switch 120 . here , the drive 110 for image frequency repression and low noise includes a serial resonance filter 115 composed of an inductor l 1 and a capacitor c 1 which is connected to a drain end of a field effect transistor m 1 . the filter 115 allows serial resonance at the image frequency due to the inductor l 1 and the capacitor c 1 , and allows parallel resonance at the signal frequency due to the parasitic capacitance cp of the fet m 1 . further , the filter 115 increases a drain current of the fet m 1 due to the bleeding current and can reduce noise caused from the fet m 1 . fig1 to 12 are circuit diagrams showing construction of frequency converters in heterodyne receivers for low noise and image frequency repression according to second to fourth exemplary embodiments of the present invention , respectively . as shown in fig1 to 12 , m 1 and m 2 are n - mos fets of drives ; m 3 , m 4 , m 5 , and m 6 are n - mos fets of switches ; rf in + and rf in − are differential input signals ; r g1 and r g2 are resistors for cutting off or breaking the rf signals ; l 1 and l 2 are inductors for a filter 116 ; c 1 and c 2 are capacitors for the filter 116 ; and i bias is a bias current . the heterodyne receivers for low noise and image frequency repression according to the second to fourth exemplary embodiments of the present invention have the construction of the filters including a double balanced mixed circuit , which is different from the first exemplary embodiment . that is , in the filter 116 of the secondary exemplary embodiment , the x node toward the drain output of the fet m 1 is connected to the inductor l 1 and the capacitor c 1 , and the y node toward the drain output of the fet m 2 is connected to the inductor l 1 and the capacitor c 1 . and , in the filter 117 of the third exemplary embodiment , the inductors l 1 and l 2 are connected between the x node and the y node , and the capacitor c 1 is connected between the inductors l 1 and l 2 . in the filter 118 of the fourth exemplary embodiment , the inductor l 1 and the capacitor cl are connected between the x node and the y node . although the construction of filters according to the second to fourth exemplary embodiments of the present invention are different from the first exemplary embodiment , the filters according to the second to fourth exemplary embodiments have the same function for low noise and image frequency repression . hereinafter , operation of the heterodyne receiver for low noise and image frequency repression according to the exemplary embodiment is described with reference to the appended drawings . fig1 shows a model for a property of noise figure of the frequency converter shown in fig9 . as shown in fig1 , the noise of the frequency converter is divided into current noises i rf , i im , and i if at the drive 110 . i rf is a current noise at the rf signal frequency band , i im is a current noise at the image frequency band , and i if is a current noise at the intermediate frequency band . meanwhile , the noise of the switch 120 is periodically changed on a time basis and is modeled as a voltage noise v n , lo at gates of fets m 2 and m 3 . the conversion gains to the intermediate frequency output are respectively calculated from the current noises i rf , i im , and i if at the rf signal frequency band , and each conversion gain is multiplied by each corresponding current noise . the sum of noises at the intermediate frequency output is as in the following equation 1 . ī no 2 = ī rf 2 g c , rf 2 + ī im 2 g c , im 2 + ī n , lo 2 + ī n , r l 2 [ equation 1 ] here , g c , rf is a current conversion gain of the intermediate frequency output , and g c , im is a current conversion gain of the intermediate frequency output . i n , lo is a current noise by the voltage noise v n , lo at intermediate frequency output . i n , rl is a current noise when the intermediate frequency output is connected to the load resistor r l . the current noise i if at the intermediate frequency band is not included in output noise when the intermediate frequency output is a differential output . in equation 1 , ī rf 2 g c , rf 2 and ī im 2 g c , im 2 are the main causes of noise , the filter 115 improves noise performance by reducing the conversion gain at the image frequency , that is ī im 2 g c , im 2 . in equation 1 , ī n , lo 2 can be minimized by increasing input power of the local oscillation circuit , since ī n , lo 2 is obtained from the local oscillation signal . the sum of noise currents can be calculated from output at the intermediate frequency by using the equation 1 . the noise viewed at the input side can be calculated by dividing the sum of noise currents from the output at the intermediate frequency by the conversion gain from the rf input signal to the output at the intermediate frequency output . the noise figure can be calculated by dividing the noise viewed at the input side by the thermal noise caused by the resistor rs . at this time , voltage noise v no 2 from the output at the intermediate frequency can be calculated from the result of multiplication of the sum of the current noise ī no 2 by the load resistor r l at the output port . and the voltage noise v no 2 viewed at the input side can be calculated from the result of division of the voltage noise v no 2 by the voltage conversion gain ac from the rf input signal to the signal at the intermediate frequency . the noise figure can be calculated from the result of division of the voltage noise v ni 2 by a thermal noise 4ktrs of the load resistor rs at the input port as in the following equation 3 . in equation 3 , k is a boltzmann constant , and t is a noise temperature . as shown in fig9 to fig1 , serial resonance between the inductor l 1 and the capacitor c 1 in the filter 115 occurs at the image frequency . thus , the input impedance | zf | decreases at the image frequency and increases at a desired rf signal frequency . the current signal of the image frequency at the x node is repressed due to the low impedance at the image frequency , and the conversion gain to the output at the intermediate frequency falls . thus , the image impedance is repressed . however , the filter 115 increases the conversion gain at the desired signal frequency due to high impedance . fig1 shows a matching condition for a drive of a frequency converter shown in fig9 . as shown in fig1 , when the input impedance is set to 50 ω by using the inductors ls and lg , the input impedance z in can be determined as in the following equation 4 . the equation 4 can be divided into a real part and an imaginary part . the first element in the real part is set to 50 ω , and the ls and lg values are determined to allow serial resonance in the imaginary part . the real part and the imaginary part are offset to each other . here , gm1 is a trans - conductance of the fet m 1 , and cgs 1 is a capacitance between a gate and source of the fet m 1 . the results of a trial experiment wherein predetermined values are assigned to each element in fig9 are shown in the following table 1 . for the trial experiment , the rf input signal was set to 5 . 25 ghz , the input power was set to − 30 dbm , the local oscillation signal was set to 4 . 25 ghz , the input power was 0 dbm , and the output at the intermediate frequency was set to 1 ghz which corresponds to the difference between the input signal and the local oscillation signal . a bond wire with 0 . 8 nh per 1 mm was used for the ls , since the ls has a relatively small capacity . the lg was assumed to be an off - chip inductor . as shown in table 1 , when the filter is added to the frequency converter , the property of the noise figure is improved by around 1 . 8 ˜ 2 . 7 db even when the bleeding current is 0 ma . the property of the noise figure is further improved when the bleeding current increases . at this time , the conversion gain from the rf signal frequency to the intermediate frequency was around 5 ˜ 9 db . the total performance of the system becomes much worse in the communication system , wherein the several circuits are connected in series , when the property of the noise figure for the circuit which is connected later is poor . as such , the exemplary embodiment of the present invention increases the conversion gain at the rf signal frequency band , and decreases the conversion gain at the image frequency band by adding the filter to the output node of the drive of the frequency converter . thus , the thermal noise at the image frequency band represses the conversion gain of the intermediate frequency band and improves the property of the noise figure and can perform image frequency repression . while this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments , but , on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . as such , the heterodyne receiver for low noise and image frequency repression of the present invention increases the conversion gain to the output at the intermediate frequency at the rf signal frequency band , decreases the conversion gain at the image frequency band , and improves the property of the noise figure by adding the filter to the output node of the drive of the frequency converter . thus , the image frequency signal is repressed and the distortion of the desired signal can be minimized . | 7 |
referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first , particularly to fig3 thereof , there is shown a rheometer 1 that contains a measurement motor 4 and a measurement shaft 6 connected to the latter , on a lower end of which a sample 7 lying on top is mounted in the form of a ball . with a normal force control unit arranged for example in an evaluation and control unit 40 the sample 7 can be pressed with defined force against a sample 8 located below , particularly through prior lowering of an overhanging arm 5 a . three lower samples 8 mounted symmetrically to each other in the form of leaves are in tribological contact with the ball 7 . the leaves 8 are supported by a holder 9 , which is supported subsequently by a spring 10 . the holder 9 and the spring 10 define the spring unit designated as 3 , which extends over a length of arrow 3 ′. the spring constant of the spring unit 3 can advantageously , if need be automatically , be changed via the control and evaluation unit 40 by an adjustment mechanism or adjustment unit 13 . the spring unit 3 is located on a carrier 11 , which is insertable and if necessary drivable into a bearing 12 of the rheometer 1 which is near the base . in the present case the sample 7 is rotated with the measurement shaft 6 . the spring properties of the spring unit 3 are representative of the spring properties of the entire rheometer 1 or of an oscillatory circuit 30 , which , as indicated by the arrow , comprise all of the movable , particularly spring - elastic movable parts of the rheometer 1 in the path or circle of force , or power circuit , which are deformable when force is applied to the samples 7 , 8 and thus have the possibility of appearing spring - effectively or of exerting forces on the samples 7 , 8 , which can generate resonances or oscillations in the oscillatory circuit 30 . together with the carrier 11 the spring unit 3 constitutes a module or a tribological measurement cell insertable into a rheometer 1 according to the present invention . the spring unit 3 with the carrier 11 can be exchangeably integrated into the rheometer 1 or constitutes an installable and removable component assembly , and at least one of the measurement parts of the rheometer 1 can be exchanged for this component assembly or for the module according to the present invention . the other measurement part of the rheometer 1 is replaced by a sample or also a module . thus , the spring unit 3 can also be provided for the upper sample 7 depicted in fig3 , so that the samples 7 , 8 are loaded overall by two spring units 3 , in which the spring characteristic can be changed or adjusted . if the measurements are performed in the extreme temperature range , then it is advantageous to provide the spring 10 outside the range tempered for the tribological contact , in order to prevent temperature influences . samples 7 , 8 can be arranged within a tempering chamber 50 , which surrounds the tribological contact . the tempering parts can also be integrated into the holders 9 for the samples 7 , 8 . particularly , resistance heaters and peltier elements are worth considering for this . the spring 10 can be arranged in the spring unit 3 such that it can be exchanged , for example , by a clamping tool with a quick - release connector and an adjustment of the spring unit 3 can be made by use or exchange of springs having a different spring characteristic . thus , a number of modules can be made available , which can be exchanged to adjust the spring characteristic of the respective rheometer to each measurement situation given . in fig4 and 4a an embodiment of a module according to the present invention is represented , which is insertable into a rheometer . the spring unit 3 contains a flat spring 10 , which is essentially aligned in a horizontal plane and in its longitudinal area supports the holder 9 of the samples 8 via a support element 72 , a slide stone 38 and a mounting part 39 . the samples 8 are formed by small plates , similar to how they are depicted in fig3 . the holder 9 can be plugged into the mounting part 39 or interchangeably mounted . the mounting part 39 is connected to the slide stone 38 , which is mounted in a movable manner with little friction in the x - y direction in the support element 72 for centering the holder 9 or the samples 8 , e . g . by combination of two linear guides . a lower end of the support element 72 can be connected , for example , screwed or welded , to the flat spring 10 , particularly to its middle area . the flat spring 10 rests on two supports 31 , 33 , which are movably guided towards each other in a groove 75 of the base plate 37 . to this end , the supports 31 , 33 are mounted by pins 36 in grooves 35 running spirally in a — as clear from fig5 and 5 a — component 34 rotatable in relation to the base plate 37 . by twisting the component the position or the distance of the supports 31 , 33 can be changed in relation to the middle area of the flat spring 10 , whereby the characteristic of the flat spring 10 or its oscillation properties is changed . the twisting of the component 34 can be done manually or automatically with an actuator . fig6 shows a module according to the present invention , which has a carrier 11 , which is insertable into the bearing 12 in the base 5 or into a cantilever 33 or into a drive or measurement shaft 6 of the rheometer 1 or can be connected therewith . the carrier 11 supports at least one plate 41 of the type shown in fig6 a , to the circumference of which in the plate recesses a number of flat springs 10 , in the present case three , extending roughly in the circumferential direction are attached . if necessary , these flat springs 10 could also be integrally configured with the plate 41 . in their free end area the respective flat springs 10 bear samples 8 , which are configured in the present case as pins . these samples can also readily be formed as balls or have another form . in any case it should be ensured that the arrangement is radially balanced or trued . the individual sectors , which in the present case amount to 120 °, of the plate 41 are configured congruent thereto . the samples 8 are pressed with the springs 10 against an opposite sample 7 , e . g . a disk or a ring , which is depicted in fig6 b . fig6 a shows a schematic top view of the plate 41 and fig6 b a detailed view through a spring 10 with inserted , pin - shaped sample 10 . in addition , an elastomer can also be inserted between the springs as an attenuator , in order to damp the amplitude of the oscillation system and additionally to change the oscillation characteristic . fig6 c shows a retaining part 45 for two plates 41 attached to the carrier 11 . both of the plates 41 are inserted parallel to each other into the circumferential grooves of the retaining part 45 . furthermore , the retaining part 45 bears a number of essentially pin - shaped clamping components 46 running radially , corresponding to fig6 d , the number of which corresponds in particular to the number of preset flat springs 10 , so that each free length of the spring 10 can be used with a clamping component 46 of its own having roughly the form of a spoke . the clamping components 46 are rotatable relative to the springs 10 or to the plates 41 about the axis of the carrier 11 . depending on the length of the section of the flat spring 10 , which is set by the respective clamping component 46 , the oscillation behavior of the flat springs 10 changes . in the case of the embodiment of a module or rheometer 1 depicted in fig6 a separate spring system of the individual samples 8 thus occurs . as arises from fig6 and 7 , the plate 41 can be provided twice and both parallel plates 41 can be connected to each other by the holder 9 , so that each sample 8 is connected via its holder 9 with two springs 10 or suspended by the latter , which bear the samples 8 via the holder 9 . the module is rotated with a drive motor and / or measurement motor during the measurement . fig7 shows a module installed in a rheometer 1 according to fig6 to 6d . this module differs slightly from the module depicted in fig6 to 6d , namely in respect to the loading of the flat springs 10 by the spokes 46 as well as the form of the plate 41 and the flat springs 10 . the flat springs 10 are formed integrally from the plate 41 and show circumferential slots 82 for the feed - through of spring dowel pins and fixing of the spokes 46 in any circumferential position . in this modified embodiment the spokes 46 can be firmly connected with the flat springs 10 in a defined position by a swivel lock 80 . furthermore , in fig7 the lower sample 7 configured in the form of a plate can be recognized . in this embodiment the carrier 11 depends on the overhanging arm 33 of a rheometer and is rotated . to temper the upper sample 8 tempering units 82 not further eluciated can be provided , which if necessary provide tempering fluid in the chamber with the samples 8 . the plate - shaped sample 7 can be fixed and held with a wall 83 forming the space around the sample 8 or around the module . as arises from fig7 , the sample 7 , which is configured in the form of a plate can lie motion - invariant on a tempering part 81 and in this embodiment forms the sample positioned below . the sample 8 positioned above in this case is rotated via the carrier 11 relative to the sample 7 , wherein the samples 8 are in tribological contact with the sample 7 configured as a disk . if a rheometer is used with a rotation motor and a measurement motor separate from each other the movement of the module with the upper samples 8 can be limited to a power provision and the lower sample 7 in the form of the plate 41 can be rotated . in particular , if the module is rotated during the measurement , it is advantageous if the entire springy arrangement or the module is configured light and rotationally symmetric to prevent imbalances . fig8 shows an embodiment of the rheometer 1 with a spring element , in which the damping of the oscillations is accomplished by a pot or bracket 66 attached to the spring 10 or borne by the latter . the bracket 66 is supported by an elastomer - ring 67 , which rests on the base 5 and against which the bracket either lies permanently or can be applied in the area of the lower dead center of the oscillation of the spring 10 . depending on the hardness of the elastomer used the damping of the oscillatory circuit is changed differently . a change of the elastomer rings 67 can , for example , be made after opening or removing the bracket and exchanging the elastomers . in the case of the embodiment according to fig9 the ball - shaped sample 7 is rotated with the drive shaft 6 . the sample 8 in the form of a number of small plates lies on the holder 9 . the angles of the plates to the horizontal can thereby be set arbitrarily . in the drive shaft 6 of the sample 7 a cardan joint 70 is formed , in order to center the sample 7 driven by the measurement shaft 6 . in principle , other torsionally - stiff hinged shaft connections can also be used instead of the depicted cardan joint , such as cv - joints or ball couplings . such joints and couplings can also facilitate the required radial - offset and angular offset , however , also cause a decreased or changed compliance of the rheometer . the attenuator in the case of this embodiment consists of a pot 68 and a piston 69 , which is adjustable for height within the pot 68 . the pot 68 and the piston 69 are connected to the spring 10 bearing the holder 9 , namely at areas of the spring 10 spaced apart from each other . in the case of a movement or oscillation of the spring 10 the piston 69 movable in the pot 68 damps the spring oscillations . the piston 69 can move in a lubricant or oil , which is located within the pot 68 . this arrangement could be considered to be a significantly simplified form of a hydraulic damper , which is connected to the ends of the spring 10 . the damping characteristic can be influenced via the reduction of the fluid flow , for example , by a throttle valve in the damper . fig1 shows an arrangement , in which a tribology cell or module is inserted into the rheometer 1 , which has two plate - shaped , samples 7 , 8 pressed against each other , wherein between the samples contact material 91 is inserted , which co - determines the frictional contact between the sample areas 7 , 8 . at the same time , the sample 8 is supported by a holder configured as container 62 , in which a piston 63 is movable up and down . depending on the direction of movement of the piston , fluid can thereby flow from a reservoir 64 into the container 62 or flow out of it and the container dimensions can be adjusted to the volume of the fluid . the holder 9 as well as the piston 63 and the container 62 are supported by the spring 10 . the automatic adjustment of the oscillation characteristic is therefore made via the filling of the container 62 or the change of mass associated with it . a highly flexible hose 65 leading to the container 62 changes the oscillation behavior of the spring unit 3 , which contains the spring 10 and the holder 9 , only slightly and connects the reservoir 64 with the container . the type of application of pressure and filling can be carried out automatically both through movement of the piston as well as through the application of pressure on the reservoir 64 via the evaluation and control unit 40 and is not shown in detail here . another alternative would be the use of expanding vessels , such as membranes , balloons , and the like , which can be filled in a manner analogous to container 62 and adjust their volume to the amount of fluid . the change of the mass of the spring unit 3 can , for example , also occur through magnetically attachable particles . as a rule , relatively small parts are involved , which can be readily inserted into the modules according to the present invention . the components can also , for example , be inflatable containers , which depending on their inner pressure can be applied more or less strongly to the holder 9 of the samples 7 , 8 and thus damp those of the spring unit 3 . | 6 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , annealed glass ribbon 20 exiting from annealing lehr 22 is displaced by conveyor 24 along an article movement path , designated by the arrow 26 , past powder applicator 28 incorporating features of the invention . as the glass ribbon 20 advances past the applicator 28 , a layer of powdered material 30 ( shown in fig2 and 3 ) is applied to the upper surface 32 of the glass ribbon 20 in a manner to be discussed below . the glass ribbon 20 is further advanced by the conveyor 24 from the applicator 28 through a cutting station 34 where the ribbon 20 is scored and snapped to provide glass sheets 36 . the glass sheets 36 are advanced downstream of the cutting station 34 by conveyor 37 at a linear speed greater than the linear speed of the glass ribbon 20 to pull a gap between the glass sheets 36 . as will become apparent , the invention is not limited to the apparatus or method for forming the glass ribbon . for example , but not limiting thereto , the glass ribbon may be formed in accordance to the teachings of u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 843 , 346 and 3 , 220 , 816 which teachings are hereby incorporated by reference . further the glass ribbon 20 and glass sheets 36 may be displaced along the path 26 in any conventional manner . still further , the glass ribbon 20 may be cut into sheets 36 in any conventional manner , e . g ., for example , but not limiting to , the method and apparatus taught in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 244 , 337 ; 3 , 142 , 427 ; and 2 , 834 , 156 which teachings are hereby incorporated by reference . as the ribbon 20 is snapped along the score , glass chips ( not shown ) are projected over and onto the powder 30 on the top surface 32 of the sheets 36 and glass ribbon 20 . the powder 30 prevents the glass chips from sticking to the glass surface 32 by surface tension . the chips on the glass sheets 36 and / or glass ribbon 20 may be removed in any conventional manner , e . g ., by an air knife or by a brush . preferably the chips are removed prior to packing the glass sheets 36 for shipment and / or storage . for example , if the glass sheets 36 are to be packed , the glass chips may be removed from the glass sheets by an air knife 39 mounted adjacent to and downstream of the cutting station 34 . on the other hand , if the glass sheets 36 are to be subdivided into glass pieces ( not shown ), the chips are preferably removed from the glass pieces prior to packing same . referring to fig1 and 3 , and more specifically to fig3 the applicator 28 of the invention includes a housing 38 having joined sidewalls 40 , 42 , 44 and 46 ; an open bottom 48 and a lid 50 pivotally mounted to a sidewall , e . g ., sidewall 46 at 52 to provide access to the interior of the housing 38 . a trough 54 having its opposed ends secured to opposed sidewalls of the housing , e . g ., sidewalls 40 and 44 , respectively , is above and transverse to the article movement path 26 as shown in fig3 . an electrical heating element 60 is mounted below the trough and advantageously connected to a current supply 62 by way of wire 64 for vaporizing powder 65 in the trough 54 . the powdered material 65 in the trough is heated by the element 60 to its vaporization temperature . the vaporized powder condenses on the surface 32 or condenses in the housing 38 and falls on the surface 32 of the glass ribbon 20 . the powder preferably used in the practice of the invention is ( 1 ) one that does not stain the glass and ( 2 ) easily removable , e . g ., by water . types of powder that may be used in the practice of the invention but not limiting thereto are adipic acid , benzoic acid , and salicylic acid . the temperature of the glass ribbon at the position of powder application is preferably less than the vaporization temperature of the powder in order that the vaporized powder condenses or falls on the glass ribbon surface 32 . for example , adipic acid has a vaporization temperature of about 510 ° f . ( 263 ° c .) and the temperature of the glass ribbon is preferably less than about 500 ° f . ( 260 ° c .) when the powder is applied ; benzoic acid has a vaporization temperature of about 470 ° f . ( 249 ° c .) and the temperature of the glass ribbon is preferably less than about 460 ° f . ( 240 ° c .) when the powder is applied ; salicylic acid has a vaporization temperature of about 410 ° f . ( 211 ° c .) and the temperature of the glass ribbon is preferably less than about 400 ° f . ( 200 ° c .) when the powder is applied . in general , the temperature of the ribbon at the exit end of the annealing lehr 22 is about 200 ° f . ( 95 ° c .) and about 190 ° f . ( 86 ° c . ); 3 feet ( 0 . 9 meter ) downstream of the exit end of the lehr 22 . the applicator 28 , when using the above - mentioned powders , may , therefore , be positioned above the glass ribbon at any selected position downstream of the lehr 22 and upstream of the cutting station 34 . as can now be appreciated , the invention is not limited to the dimensions of the housing 38 nor of the trough 54 . however , it is recommended that the interior of the housing 38 be sized so that the atmosphere within the interior becomes saturated with the vaporized powder in a short time period . in this manner , the powder may be applied to the surface 32 of the glass ribbon 20 shortly after the heating element 60 is energized . the size of the trough is selected depending on the quantity of powder to be contained . further , the housing 38 may be made of any rigid material , e . g ., wood or metal . if desired , the housing may be insulated to minimize conduction and convection heat losses . in the practice of the invention , the applicator 28 is mounted above and transverse to the glass ribbon by structural members 68 as shown in fig1 and 3 . curtains 70 are mounted on the sides 42 and 46 of the housing 38 as shown in fig1 and 3 to contain the vaporized powder or falling powder about a predetermined section of the ribbon . as can now be appreciated , other embodiments with the scope of the invention can be made . for example , the applicator 28 may be moved relative to the glass ribbon . further , the invention may be practiced on glass sheets . still further , the invention may be practiced when cutting other refractory materials , e . g ., ceramics or glass - ceramics . referring to fig1 and 2 , powder applicator 28 incorporating features of the invention is mounted above conveyor 24 , downstream of annealing lehr 22 and upstream of cutting station 34 . the annealing lehr 22 is of the type used in the manufacture of float glass ribbon to remove stress in the glass ribbon . the conveyor 24 is of the type used in the art to advance the glass ribbon from the annealing lehr 22 toward the cutting station 34 . the cutting station 34 is of the type used in the art to score the glass ribbon 20 between its edges 74 and apply a bending moment to open the score and cut the glass ribbon into glass sheets 36 . the glass sheets 36 are advanced by conveyor 37 from the cutting station 34 past an air knife 39 of the type used in the art . the glass sheets 36 are advanced by the conveyor 37 at a linear speed greater than the linear speed of the glass ribbon 20 to pull a gap between the sheets 36 . with reference to fig3 the applicator 28 is made of wood and includes sidewalls 40 , 42 , 44 and 46 joined together to form a rectangular housing 38 . the housing has a wall thickness of about 1 / 2 inch ( 1 . 27 centimeters ); a length of about 160 inches ( 4 meters ); a width of about 12 inches ( 0 . 3 meter ) and a height of about 12 inches ( 0 . 3 meter ). a lid 50 having dimensions of about 160 inches ( 4 meters ) by about 12 inches ( 0 . 3 meter ) and about 1 / 2 inch thick ( 1 . 27 centimeters ) is pivotally mounted to the sidewall 46 of the housing 38 by hinge 52 . an aluminum trough 54 having a u - shaped cross - sectional configuration has its ends mounted to the sidewalls 40 and 44 , respectively , of the housing 38 . the trough 54 has a wall thickness of 1 / 2 inch ( 1 . 27 centimeters ); a height of about 3 inches ( 7 . 62 centimeters ) and a width of about 6 inches ( 15 . 24 centimeters ). the open bottom 48 of the trough 54 is spaced about 7 inches ( 17 . 78 centimeters ) from the glass ribbon surface 32 as shown in fig1 . a resistance heater 60 is mounted under the trough and connected to a powder supply 62 by wire 64 . the applicator 28 is mounted above the conveyor 24 and transverse to the glass ribbon path 26 by structural members 68 as shown in fig1 . drapes 70 mounted on sides 42 and 46 of the housing lay on ribbon surface 32 . the position of the application is at a point where the ribbon has a temperature of about 100 ° f . ( 40 ° c .). the trough 54 is filled with adipic acid , the lid closed and the heater energized to a temperature of about 525 ° f . ( 265 ° c .) to vaporize the adipic acid . the glass ribbon 20 exiting from the annealing lehr 22 is conveyed past the applicator 28 . as the glass ribbon is displaced past the applicator , the adipic acid condenses on the ribbon surface 32 or condenses in the applicator and falls on the ribbon surface 32 and is shown as numeral 30 . the glass ribbon is further displaced downstream through the cutting station 34 where the glass ribbon is scored between opposed sides 74 and subsequently snapped . chips generated during snapping are propelled over the glass ribbon surface 32 and lay on the adipic acid 30 . the sheets 36 are thereafter displced downstream of the cutting station 34 by the conveyor 37 where the chips are removed by the air knife 39 . as can be appreciated , the invention is not limited to the above example which is presented for illustration purposes only . | 2 |
the following description is intended to convey a thorough understanding of the embodiments by providing a number of specific embodiments and details involving a siding panel assembly . it is understood , however , that the invention is not limited to these specific embodiments and details , which are exemplary only . it is further understood that one possessing ordinary skill in the art , in light of known devices , systems and methods , would appreciate the use of the invention for its intended purposes and benefits in any number of alternative embodiments . generally speaking , as shown in fig1 , panel systems 100 of the present invention are generally flat sections used in building , construction and other applications , including in walls , siding , flooring , tiling , shelving , furniture and like . in one described but non - limiting embodiment , a panel system 100 of the invention includes siding panels 110 that have a plurality of horizontally adjacent siding panels 120 that are interlocked on their vertical ends 115 and 125 to provide a composite siding panel 200 . the siding panels 110 and 120 are joined together so that the composite siding panel 200 forms a single unit , such as in a row with outer - facing surfaces 117 and 127 of the siding panels providing an exterior siding surface of building in which a row of siding panels forms a substantially planar surface . any horizontal expansion or contraction of the individual siding panels 110 or 120 is transferred to the end of the composite panel 200 , rather than causing gapping or buckling at the junction between two adjacent panels 110 and 120 . in some embodiments several composite siding panels 200 may be assembled in horizontal rows , adjacent other composite siding panels 200 along respective horizontal edges of the adjacent rows , to form a siding panel assembly ( not shown ) that covers a surface , such as the wall of a building . as used herein , the terms “ horizontal ” and “ vertical ” are not intended to be limited to a specific orientation and reflect generally perpendicular sides , edges or ends with respect to one another . the references of “ horizontal ” and “ vertical ” as describing one embodiment of the invention are intended to continue to reference the respective edge , side or end in other embodiments where a panel 110 or panel system 100 is provided in another orientation relative to the ground or horizon . in the various exemplary embodiments , the siding panel systems 100 and their components may be made from solid or foamed polymers , such as vinyl or cellular pvc . however , the embodiments are not so limited . the siding panel systems 100 and their components may be made from any known or later developed material used for siding panels including , but not limited to , wood , aluminum , steel and other metals , polymer materials , plastics , masonry , stone , brick , concrete , composites and combinations thereof . panels of various materials may be shaped by extrusion , milling , molding , and the like . one having ordinary skill in the art would understand how to apply the teachings of various materials and panel manufacturing methods to various embodiments of the invention . referring to fig2 , a cross section view a - a of one embodiment of the invention an interlocking lap joint for adjacent siding panels 110 a and 120 a in siding panel system 100 a is shown as described in u . s . pat . no . 8 , 402 , 707 , which is included herein by reference . siding panel 110 a has an integrally formed interlock including a rectangular receiving groove 113 a and a rectangular projection 114 a at a vertical end . siding panel 120 a has a mating integrally formed interlock including a rectangular receiving groove 123 a and a rectangular projection 124 a at a vertical end adjacent to the vertical end of siding panel 110 a . siding panels 110 a and 120 a may be joined the their corresponding interlocks to form a composite siding panel 200 . referring to fig3 , a cross section view a - a of one embodiment of the invention an interlocking lap joint for adjacent siding panels 1108 and 120 b in siding panel system 1008 is shown . siding panel 1108 has an integrally formed interlock including a non - perpendicular parallelogram - shaped receiving groove 113 b and a non - perpendicular parallelogram - shaped projection 114 b at a vertical end . siding panel 120 b has a mating integrally formed interlock including a non - perpendicular parallelogram - shaped receiving groove 1238 and a non - perpendicular parallelogram - shaped projection 124 b at a vertical end adjacent to the vertical end of siding panel 1108 . siding panels 1108 and 120 b may be joined the their corresponding interlocks to form a composite siding panel 200 . the angled geometry of the interlock may provide a positive interlock between siding panels 1108 and 120 b . referring to fig4 , a cross section view a - a of one embodiment of the invention an interlocking lap joint for adjacent siding panels 110 c and 120 c in siding panel system 100 c is shown . siding panel 120 c has an integrally formed interlock including a receiving groove 123 c and a punched interlock tab 420 at a vertical end . siding panel 110 c has a mating integrally formed interlock including a receiving groove 113 c and a rectangular projection 114 c at a vertical end adjacent to the vertical end of siding panel 120 c . siding panels 110 c and 120 c may be joined the their corresponding interlocks to form a composite siding panel 200 . the punched interlock tab 420 of siding panel 110 c may retract into a recess in receiving groove 113 c during assembly of a composite siding panel 200 to allow for a more forgiving field installation and fitment between siding panels 110 c and 120 c . referring to fig5 , a cross section view a - a of one embodiment of the invention an interlocking saw - tooth lap joint for adjacent siding panels 110 d and 120 d in siding panel system 100 d is shown . siding panel 110 d has an intergally formed interlock including a flange 512 with a saw - tooth geometry surface 513 . siding panel 120 d has a mating integrally formed interlock including a flange 522 with a saw - tooth geometry surface 523 at a vertical end adjacent to the vertical end of siding panel 110 d . siding panels 110 d and 120 d may be joined the their corresponding interlocks with an adhesive to form a composite siding panel . the saw tooth geometry 512 and 522 of the flange surfaces may provide mechanical interlocking as well as greater surface area for adhesive bonding . referring to fig6 a - 6c , in another exemplary embodiment the invention siding panel system 100 e may include siding panels 110 e - g and 120 e - g which include an arrow - head snap fit geometry for interlocking joint attachment . siding panel 110 e - g may include an arrow - head snap 612 e - g that may be inserted in a complementary recess 622 e - g in siding panel 120 e - g . the snap head 612 e - g and complementary recess 622 e - g may be shaped to secure a head pointing outward in multiple directions 612 e as shown in fig6 a or pointing in one of opposite directions 612 f and 612 g as shown in fig6 b and fig6 c resepctively . the snap fit geometry may provide a strong mechanical joint which may not require a bonding adhesive . referring to fig7 , a cross section view a - a of one embodiment of the invention an interlocking ratcheted tongue and groove joint for adjacent siding panels 110 h and 120 h in siding panel system 100 h is shown . siding panel 110 h has an integrally formed interlock including a ratcheted tongue 713 at a vertical end adjacent to the vertical end of siding panel 120 h . siding panel 120 h has a mating integrally formed interlock including a receiving groove 723 at a vertical end . receiving groove 723 may include a mating ratchet surface to ratcheted tongue 713 . siding panels 110 h and 120 h may be joined the their corresponding interlocks to form a composite siding panel 200 . the interlock between receiving groove 723 and ratcheted tongue 713 may provide a tight mechanical fit which may not require adhesive or other bonding means . referring to fig8 , a cross section view a - a of one embodiment of the invention an interlocking standard tongue and groove for adjacent siding panels 110 j and 120 j in siding panel system 100 j is shown . siding panel 110 j has an integrally formed interlock including tongue 813 at a vertical end adjacent to the vertical end of siding panel 120 j . siding panel 120 j has a mating integrally formed interlock including a receiving groove 823 at a vertical end . siding panels 110 j and 120 j may be joined the their corresponding interlocks to form a composite siding panel 200 . the interlock between receiving slot 823 and tab 813 may be secured at the joint by an adhesive . the tongue and groove interlock may simplify fabrication of the siding panels 110 j and 120 j . the adhesive bond between siding panels 110 j and 120 j may also provide added strength to the interlock . referring to fig9 , a cross section view a - a of one embodiment of the invention a lap joint for adjacent siding panels 110 k and 120 k in siding panel system 100 k is shown . siding panel 110 k has an intergally formed flange 912 . siding panel 120 k has a mating integrally formed flange 922 at a vertical end adjacent to the vertical end of siding panel 110 k . siding panels 110 k and 120 k may be joined the their corresponding interlocks with an adhesive to form a composite siding panel 200 . the simple geometry of the flanges may simplify fabrication of the siding panels 110 k and 120 k . the adhesive bond between siding panels 110 k and 120 k may also provide added strength to the siding panel system 100 k . referring to fig1 , a cross section view a - a of one embodiment of the invention a lap joint for adjacent siding panels 110 l and 120 l in siding panel system 100 l is shown . siding panel 110 l has an integrally formed flange 1012 . siding panel 120 l has a mating integrally formed flange 1022 at a vertical end adjacent to the vertical end of siding panel 110 l . siding panels 110 l and 120 l may be joined the their corresponding interlocks with a mechanical cleat 1030 to form a composite siding panel 200 . the mechanical cleat 1030 may include barbs or other protrusions that may pierce or otherwise deform the mating surfaces of flanges 1012 and 1022 to grip and interlock siding panels 110 l and 120 l to form a composite siding panel 200 . the mechanical cleat 1030 may be made of metals , plastics or the like . flanges 1012 and 1022 may provide a relief space for the mechanical cleat 1030 so the mechanical cleat 1030 may be inserted while allowing the outer surfaces of siding panels 110 l and 120 l to remain substantially parallel . referring to fig1 , in another embodiment siding panel 110 m and 120 m ends may be joined as a butt joint 1110 with one or more mechanical fasteners 1130 , such as a cleat across a seam of one or both outer surfaces of created by the adjacent siding panel 110 m and 120 m . the mechanical fastener 1130 may include barbs or other protrusions that may pierce or otherwise deform the outer surfaces of flanges siding panels 110 m and 120 m to form a composite siding panel 200 . the mechanical fastener 1130 may be made of metals , plastics or the like . in other embodiments , fastening components may include , without limitation , one or more of adhesives , welds , mechanical fasteners , melt - bonds and magnets . referring to fig2 - 11 , in other exemplary embodiments , various other interlocking lap geometries may be provided to secure ends of adjacent siding panels . such geometries may be secured at the joint by , without limitation , by one or more of frictional fits , shaped mechanical fits , adhesives , mechanical fasteners , welds , melt - bonds and magnets . in the preceding specification , various preferred exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto , and additional exemplary embodiments may be implemented , without departing from the broader scope of the invention as may be set forth in such patent claims as may be based on this application and specification . the specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense . | 4 |
example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings . with initial reference to fig1 , an instrument cluster constructed in accordance with one example of the present teachings is shown and generally identified at reference numeral 10 . the instrument cluster 10 can include a fascia 12 having a display or activity field 14 . the display field 14 can comprise a dial plaque 18 . the dial plaque 18 in one exemplary embodiment may be taken to be representative of a speedometer display with low values at the left end and higher values toward the right - most or clockwise end . in this way , the dial plaque can comprise a set of indicia 20 arranged generally around the dial plaque 18 to indicate a measured quantity ( such as a vehicle speed ). those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that while the dial plaque 18 has been representative of a speedometer to indicate vehicle speed , the dial plaque 18 can be configured to represent indicia indicative of any measured quantity such as , but not limited to , engine speed ( a tachometer ), a coolant temperature , a fuel level , an oil pressure , a cabin temperature , and outside temperature , time ( a clock ) and the like . it is appreciated that the cluster 10 can be arranged in any vehicle , such as an automobile , an aircraft , a boat , or for various parameters in a power plant or other application displaying information to an operator . the indicia 20 can be in the form of increment or scale markers 22 that may be preprinted on the dial plaque 18 to give values to the measured quantities in miles per hour , kilometers per hour , degrees , rpm , psi , minutes , etc . the outline of the dial plaque 18 may also be printed , embossed or otherwise created on the fascia 12 of the cluster 10 for function and aesthetic appeal . various non - analog displays or “ telltales ” collectively referred to at reference numeral 24 can include a low fuel display 26 , turn signal arrows 28 , 30 , engine temperature 32 , high beam light 34 and check engine 36 . other telltales may also be provided . it will be noted that the telltales 24 can be physically arranged so as to correspond generally at an elevation on the dial plaque 18 consistent with the indicia 20 . the user responsive elements or buttons 38 a , 38 b can be provided on or near the display field 14 of the instrument cluster 10 . the portion of the display field occupied by button 38 a , 38 b is the activity field . as will be described in detail herein , the buttons 38 a , 38 b can be configured to perform any action , such as but not limited to , resetting a displayed quantity on an information display 39 ( i . e ., such as a trip odometer ) upon user actuation of the buttons 38 a , 38 b . the buttons 38 a , 38 b can be actuated by any movement , such as linear translation , rotation about its axis and / or pivoting about an axis . according to one example , illumination markers are created in the display field 14 around a 360 ° sweep of the dial plaque 18 to identify a desired , measured quantity value on the dial plaque 18 , such as at the indicia 20 as well as concurrently illuminating any combination of the telltales 24 identified above . these illumination markers are created by a light source 40 which operates in an on / off mode under the control of a high - speed controller 44 . in one example , the light source 40 can comprise a diode laser . in another implementation the light source 40 can comprise a light emitting diode ( led ) and an optical element . the controller 44 can be configured to receive vehicle inputs from various vehicle components ( not shown ). the controller 44 can include signal interpretation algorithms that interpret the vehicle inputs and generate a set of light source on / off sequential signals as will be described . in one example , multiple transducers can be provided that are capable of sending electrical signals representing instantaneous values of the various measure quantities . the conversion of the electrical signals from analog to digital form may be carried out either within the controller 44 or externally thereof by a suitable nd converter according to the preferences of the system . the light source 40 according to a first example is configured to output an incident or primary beam of light 50 in a direction toward an optical device 52 that is mounted for rotation about an axis 54 . the optical device 52 can be a simple curved surface mirror ( like in the example shown in fig1 ) or other configurations ( like the optical device 52 ′ shown in fig2 ) or more complex optical components or systems that are capable to redirect and spread or focus the incident light . the optical device 52 can have a reflective surface 56 . the optical device 52 can be rotated by way of a shaft 58 that extends from a motor 62 at a high and continuous rate of speed so that the light reflected off the optical device 52 ( hereinafter referred to as a secondary beam 66 ) sweeps angularly across the display field 14 from left to right in a clockwise fashion as explained in greater detail below . in the exemplary configuration of fig1 , the optical device 52 is located generally within a boundary of the dial plaque 18 and is operable to reflect light 360 ° around the dial plaque 18 to illuminate in any combination the indicia 20 and the telltales 24 . additional details regarding the configuration and operation of the optical device 52 or 52 ′ and other suitable optical device configurations may be found in commonly owned u . s . pat . no . 7 , 193 , 729 and co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 275 , 365 , which are expressly incorporated herein by reference . the secondary beam 66 that is reflected off of the optical device 52 can also be reflected toward a photo - detector sensor 70 , the output of which is connected as an input signal 72 to the controller 44 for calibrating or “ zeroing ” purposes explained in detail below . in one example , a signal , hereinafter angular position signal 74 can be sent from the motor 62 to the controller 44 indicative of an angular position of the shaft 58 ( and therefore the angular position of the optical device 52 ). in one example , the motor 62 can be a brushless dc motor . in operation , the light source 40 can be turned on to produce a calibration pulse , which is directed toward the photo - detector 70 . this resets the data in the controller 44 to the zero - sweep position when the angular position determined from the angular position signal 74 satisfies a predetermined value , the controller 44 outputs a signal , hereinafter light signal 80 that turns the light source 40 on and a stripe - like marker of light 82 ( fig1 ) is caused to appear on the dial plaque 18 of the display field 14 . the light signal 80 can include light duration and starting point with regard to the angular position signal 74 of the motor shaft 58 . the controller 44 can also output a signal , hereinafter a shaft angular speed control signal 84 to the motor 62 . the controller 44 can also have a light source driving function that compares the light signal 80 and the angular position signal 74 , determined by signal interpretation algorithms in the controller 44 and switch the light source 40 on / off per the comparison result . with continued reference now to fig2 - 4 , one example implementation of the present disclosure will be described . a light barrier 90 a can be coupled for movement with the button 38 a . the button 38 a can be biased to a withdrawn or unactuated position ( fig4 ) by a biasing member 39 a . a light barrier 90 b can be coupled for movement with the button 38 b . while the light barriers 90 a and 90 b have been shown generally adjacent to the respective buttons 38 a and 38 b in fig2 and below the respective buttons 38 a and 38 b in fig3 and 4 , the light barriers 90 a and 90 b can be located at any suitable location for concurrent or subsequent movement with the buttons 38 a and 38 b . a fixed mirror 92 a can be disposed generally adjacent to the button 38 a . a fixed mirror 92 b can be disposed generally adjacent to the button 38 b . a fixed zero position mirror 96 can be provided for reflecting light toward the photo detector 70 as will be described . during operation , the respective light barriers 90 a and 90 b are configured to block the respective secondary beams of light 66 a 1 and 66 b 1 from reaching the fixed mirrors 92 a and 92 b when the respective button 38 a or 38 b is actuated ( fig3 ). in this way , primary light 50 is emitted from the light source 40 and reflected off surface 56 of the optical device 52 ′ and directed as a secondary beam 66 a 1 toward the fixed mirror 92 a . if the button 38 a has not been actuated ( such as in a withdrawn position , fig4 ), the secondary beam 66 a 1 reflects off of the fixed mirror 92 a as a tertiary beam of light 66 a 2 toward the photo detector 70 . if the button 38 a is actuated ( such as in a depressed position , fig3 ), the light barrier 90 a will block the secondary beam 66 a 1 from reaching the fixed mirror 92 a and therefore preclude creation of the tertiary beam 66 a 2 . therefore , actuation of the button 38 a will preclude a tertiary beam 66 a 2 from ever reaching the photo detector 70 . as can be appreciated , the button 38 b can be configured similarly . in this way , actuation of the button 38 b can move the light barrier 90 b into alignment with the secondary beam 66 b 1 , such that the secondary beam 66 b 1 cannot reflect off of the fixed mirror 92 b as the tertiary light 66 b 2 . with continued reference now to fig2 - 4 and additional reference now to fig5 , a plot of light beam 66 a 1 , button 38 a action and photo detector 70 signal is illustrated versus an exemplary time sequence . during operation , the controller 44 turns on the light source 40 such that the light beam 66 a 1 is ultimately created from a time t 1 - t 4 and again from time t 5 - t 8 and again at t 9 - t 12 . it is appreciated that the light beam 66 a 1 is kept on through the respective durations t 1 - t 4 , t 5 - t 8 and t 9 - t 12 when the optical device 52 ′ is pointing at the appropriate angle . at some time between t 2 and t 3 , the secondary light 66 a 1 shines on the fixed mirror 92 a and is reflected off as the tertiary beam 66 a 2 , which its aimed onto the photo detector 70 . because the button 38 a is not depressed ( fig4 ), the tertiary light 66 a 2 reaches the photo detector 70 and the photo detector 70 produces a signal 72 back to the controller 44 . in one example , the photo detector 70 can generate a pulse signal during time t 2 - t 3 indicating that the button 38 a is not depressed . at some time between t 4 and t 5 , the button 38 a is depressed causing the movable light barrier 90 a to block the secondary beam 66 a 1 from reaching the fixed mirror 92 a . as a result , the scheduled pulse on the signal 72 is missing from the time duration t 6 to t 7 , indicating that the button 38 a is depressed ( fig3 ). at some time before t 9 , the button 38 a is released causing the movable light barrier 90 a to withdraw and the secondary beam 66 a 1 to reach the fixed mirror 92 a again . as a result , the scheduled pulse on the signal 72 appears in the time duration between t 10 - t 11 indicating that the button 38 a is not depressed . in one example , the time duration between t 4 and t 5 , as well as t 8 - t 9 can be equivalent to a single revolution of the optical device 52 ′. in another example , these times can define multiple revolutions of the optical device 52 ′. according to one configuration , the maximum toggle rate of the button 38 a can be the same as the rotating rate of the optical device 52 ′. in this way , the controller 44 is not able to identify more than one button action ( pushing or releasing ) at an individual button within a rotating period of the optical device 52 ′. turning now to fig6 , a time sequence example is shown for a configuration having six buttons ( such as 38 a - 38 f , not all specifically shown ). buttons 38 c - 38 f can interact with light beams 66 c 1 - 66 f 1 . the exemplary time sequence illustrates actuation of the button 38 a from a time after t 1 to a time t 6 . according to the present teachings , for multiple button implementations , since the controller 44 is aware of the exact moment of turning on and the duration of a respective light beam ( 66 a 1 - 66 f 1 ) for each of the buttons ( 38 a - 38 f ), the controller 44 is able to distinguish which missing pulse ( photo detector signals 72 a - 72 f ) from the photo detector 70 is for which of the respective buttons 38 a - 38 f in the case where multiple push - buttons are pressed simultaneously . the fixed zero position mirror 96 ( fig2 ) reflects a secondary beam 66 z 1 as a tertiary beam 66 z 2 . the zero position mirror 96 is strategically placed such that the time period of t 1 - t 2 is significantly different than that of t 2 - t 7 - t 1 . therefore with proper algorithms , the controller 44 is able to distinguish the pulse 72 z from other pulses by computing the time period between the pulses . this helps the system establishing synchronization during the start up and can be used for continuous synchronization . in the event that all buttons 38 a - 38 f are depressed , the controller 44 receives only one pulse 72 z . as shown in fig6 , when the button 38 a is depressed , the associated photo detector signal ( i . e ., 72 a ) is absent . with reference now to fig7 and 8 , a button 110 constructed in accordance to another implementation of the present teachings will be described . the button 110 can be movably coupled with a mirror 112 . a biasing member 114 can bias the button 110 into the unactuated position ( fig7 ). in the configuration shown in fig7 and 8 , a secondary light beam 66 h 1 is not reflected to the photo detector 70 unless the button 110 is depressed . in other words , instead of seeking a missed pulse of light , the controller 44 is configured to search for present pulses to identify button activities . turning now to fig9 and 10 , additional features of the present teachings will be described . in other configurations , the button can be configured as a stem 130 having a user engaging portion 132 supported within a stem rack 134 . a fixed mirror 138 can be supported by the stem rack 134 . a distal end of the stem 130 can support a double sided mirror 140 . the stem 130 can be configured to have six possible statuses : inactive , pushed only , turn left 90 ° only , turn right 90 ° only , push and turn left 90 °, and push and turn right 90 °. when turning the stem 130 left 90 ° ( shown in solid line , fig1 ), an incident beam 150 l 1 is reflected off the mirror 140 to the photo detector 70 as a secondary beam 150 l 2 . when turning the stem 130 to the right 90 ° ( shown in dashed line , fig1 ), the incident beam 150 r 1 is reflected to the photo detector 70 as the secondary beam 150 r 2 . the location of the mirror 140 in an unrotated position is illustrated in dotted line in fig1 . when the stem 130 is not depressed , as shown in solid line in fig9 , the incident beam 150 s 1 is reflected to the photo detector 70 as a secondary beam 150 s 2 . when the stem 130 is depressed , as shown in dashed line in fig9 , the incident beam 150 s 1 is blocked by the stem 130 . therefore , the photo detector 70 will not receive the scheduled beam 150 s 2 . when the stem 130 is not turned nor depressed , the photo detector 70 receives only the beam 150 s 2 . by combining the above examples , the controller 44 is able to distinguish the status of the stem 130 and act upon the signals ( such as the pulse signals 72 discussed above ) appropriately . with reference now to fig1 and 12 , a button 160 constructed in accordance to another implementation of the present teachings will be described . the button 160 can have as part of its construction an optical component 162 , which reflects the light 164 in such a way as to illuminate a face 166 of the button 160 . in fig1 it is shown that when the button 160 is in the normal ( unactuated ) position , after the light beam 164 strikes the optical element 162 it passes through a first opening 165 in the body of the button 160 and illuminates the face 166 of the button 160 . in fig1 it is shown that when the button 160 is in the actuated position the light beam 164 passes through a second opening 168 in the button 160 and is reflected from a fixed mirror 170 . the reflected light 172 can be directed to a photo detector such as described above . of note , the button 166 includes an elastomeric or flexible material that can bulge outwardly ( fig1 ) as a result of actuation . it is noted that the elastomeric button configuration of fig1 and 12 can be used for any button disclosed herein . with reference now to fig1 and 14 , a user interface 178 can be constructed using a cavity 180 formed in a front surface 182 ( i . e ., of the instrument cluster ) such that walls 184 defining the cavity 180 allow light beam 186 to pass when a blocking element 190 is not present . in the exemplary drawings , the blocking element 190 is a finger but it can be a pencil , pen , or any other object which can fit into the cavity 180 and also block the light beam 186 . in fig1 the user interface 178 is in the actuated mode with the blocking element 190 in the cavity 180 and blocking the light beam 186 . in fig1 the user interface 178 is in the normal ( unactuated ) mode as the blocking element 190 is removed from the cavity 180 and the light beam 186 is incident on fixed mirror 194 . the reflected light 196 can be directed to a photo detector such as described above . the foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure . individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment , but , where applicable , are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment , even if not specifically shown or described . the same may also be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure , and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure . | 8 |
the figures show an embodiment of the invention which is adapted to both identify interfaces and determine their height in a multi - phase batch of fluid and to establish an inventory of the batch . more particularly , the embodiment comprises a metering separator a and a capacitance probe assembly b working together to yield useful information which is processed by a microprocessor c , forming part of the assembly b , for the calculation of mass rates of the batch components . as shown in fig1 the separator a comprises a vertical vessel 1 having a tangentially arranged feed line 2 opening into its upper end . flow into the vessel 1 through the line 2 is controlled by a valve 3 . the feed line 2 delivers the oilwell production stream into an involute inlet housing 4 , mounted within the vessel chamber 5 . the housing 4 has a side - opening fluid outlet 6 and a top - opening gas outlet 7 . the production stream entering the housing 4 swirls and forms an inner gas vortex and an outer liquid layer containing entrained gas . the outer fluid layer leaves the housing 4 through the outlet 7 . the gas moves out of the vessel chamber 5 through overhead line 8 . a meter 8a in line 8 measures the gas flow and supplies signals indicative thereof to the microprocessor c . a backpressure valve 9 maintains a pre - determined backpressure in the vessel chamber 5 , for flushing out the batch 10 , when it is to be dumped . the liquid - containing fluid can leave the vessel chamber 5 through an underflow line 11 . flow through the underflow line 11 is controlled by a dump valve 12 . the components of the batch 10 separate in the chamber 5 , as shown in fig2 to form a bottom layer 16 of free water , an intermediate layer 17 of gassy emulsion , and a top layer 15 of free gas . a differential pressure transducer 26 is associated with the vessel 1 . the transducer 26 comprises a first sensor 49 at the base of the liquid - containing column 18 ( formed by free water and emulsion layers 16 , 17 ) and a second sensor 19 in the gas layer 15 . the differential pressure transducer 26 is adapted to monitor the increasing head of the fluid column 18 and emit signals indicative of the fluid head &# 39 ; s magnitude . the output of the differential pressure transducer 26 is fed to the microprocessor c . as shown in fig5 during the accumulation of a batch , the dump valve 12 is closed and the fill valve 3 is open . when the head of the liquid - containing column 18 reaches a pre - determined high value , the microprocessor c signals inlet valve 3 to close . the dump valve 12 is signalled to open by the microprocessor c when the fluid column is stabilized . the backpressure in the vessel chamber 5 then functions to quickly discharge part of the column 18 through underflow line 11 . when the head of the column 18 diminishes to a pre - determined low value , the microprocessor c acts to close the dump valve 12 . the sequence is schematically illustrated in fig5 . the microprocessor c is suitably connected and programmed to process the signals indicative of the gas flow , the mass of each fluid dump , and the time involved . a liquid - containing column 18 having two layers , one being free water 16 and the other being gassy emulsion 17 , is generated ; the quantity of free gas 15 passing through the vessel is measured and the results are collected by the microprocessor ; the total mass of liquid - containing fluid passing through the underflow line 11 is measured and the results are collected by the microprocessor ; and turning now to the capacitance probe assembly b , as shown in fig2 , 4 , it includes a capacitance probe 20 , a yoke 24 supporting the probe 20 , a signal wire conduit 35 for connecting the probe 20 with the microprocessor c , a packoff 33 for sealing the conduit 35 to the wall of the vessel 1 , a restraint 29 for centering the probe 20 in the vessel chamber 5 , and a circuit board 27 for actuating the assembly b . more particularly , as shown in fig2 , 4 , the probe 20 comprises a linear array 23 of sixteen active plates p1 - p16 mounted in an electrically insulating probe shell 22 , which is suspended vertically in the vessel contents by the supporting yoke 24 . by &# 34 ; electrically insulating &# 34 ;, the meaning thereof will be understood by capacitance probe designers that the shell is made from a dielectric material so that the plates are capacitance coupled to the fluid but resistively insulated from the fluid . the dielectric selected should , of course , be chemically resistant to the fluid , examples thereof including but not limited to : teflon , ceramic materials , and preferably fiberglass - reinforced epoxy , e . g ., bondstrand . the active plates p1 - p16 , generally any conductor , preferably aluminum are capacitively coupled by the shell 22 and the fluid in the vessel chamber 5 to a common return plate 25 which , in the embodiment shown , is the wall of the vessel 1 . the vessel wall , generally any conductor , for example , mild steel , is optionally coated on the interior side with a substance which will prevent corrosion , e . g ., an epoxy coating . for purposes of terminology , the capacitance probe assembly b , when associated with the return plate 25 , forms a capacitive assembly . as shown in fig6 an electronic circuit 21 is provided for activating the plates p1 - p16 and transmitting the frequency signals generated , which are indicative of the dielectric constant of the fluid being tested , to the microprocessor c for analysis . the circuit 21 , forming part of the probe 20 , is designed to minimize parasitic capacitance . in this respect , an individual oscillator circuit 28 , for charging and discharging an associated active plate , is mounted close to each such active plate p1 - p16 . means are provided for energizing and for selectively and individually enabling the discrete oscillator circuits 28 . more particularly , in the preferred embodiment shown , the circuit 21 , fig6 comprises sixteen separate or discrete relaxation oscillator circuits 28 . each of the oscillator circuits 28 is mounted on the printed circuit board 27 , fig4 which is centered in one of the sixteen , vertically and linearly arranged , cylindrical active plates p1 - p16 . each oscillator circuit 28 comprises a dual input schmidt nand gate s1 - s16 connected with a feedback resistor r1 - r16 . the active plate p1 - p16 is connected by a short conductor w1 - w16 to an input of the schmidt nand gate s1 - s16 . the oscillator circuits 28 are sequentially and individually enabled by a logical high applied to one of the dual inputs of the schmidt nand gates s1 - s16 by one of the outputs q1 - q8 of two serial - to - parallel shift registers 30 , 31 operatively controlled by microprocessor c . the outputs of the shift registers 30 , 31 are initially cleared on set - up by clocking in sufficient consecutive zeros into the first shift register 30 or by the correct toggle of the clear line 33 . the data line 84 is held high by the microprocessor c while the clock line 33 is toggled , thereby raising q 1 of the shift register 30 , enabling the oscillator circuit 28 , connected to p 1 , subsequent toggles of the clock , which will enable the next oscillator circuit 28 . the outputs of non - selected oscillator circuits 28 will be at a logical one . sixteen blocking diodes d1 - d16 are provided for transferring the output signal from an enabled oscillator circuit and for blocking the signal from reaching non - enabled oscillator circuits . more particularly , each diode d1 - d16 is connected to the output of one of the schmidt nand gates s1 - s16 . the anodes of the diodes d1 - d16 are connected to a pull up resistor 37 and the input to a frequency divider 38 . the diodes d1 - d16 and resistor 37 cooperate to allow a selected oscillator circuit 28 to output its frequency signal to the input of the frequency divider 38 . the frequency signal is dependent on the dielectric value of the fluid between the active plate p1 - p16 involved and the return plate 25 . the frequency divider 38 conditions the signal frequency to a lower frequency by dividing the frequency before it is transmitted out of the probe 20 by the output conductor 39 to the microprocessor c , for analysis . as described , we have chosen to enable the oscillator circuits 28 in a sequence and to then collect the signals from the oscillator circuits 28 as they are activated . however it is contemplated that alternatively all of the oscillator circuits could be enabled continuously and their output signals multiplexed . as described , individual oscillator circuits 28 are placed adjacent or near to each active plate p1 - p16 in order to eliminate the effects of parasitic capacitance . however it is contemplated that alternatively a single oscillator or other such electronic circuit capable of measuring capacitance could be utilized and the effects of the parasitic capacitance minimized by other means such as the use of switching devices adjacent to , or at , the active plates . a circuit 61 to accomplish this end is disclosed in fig7 . the circuit 61 comprises an electronic capacitance measuring circuit 85 and a microprocessor 67 . the circuit 61 is connected to the probe 20 by a coaxial cable 65 having a center lead 62 and a shield 53 . the center lead 62 is connected to one contact of the switches c1 - cn . each switch c1 - cn is located adjacent an active plate p1 - pn and is connected thereto by a short conductor w1 - wn . the capacitance of the coaxial cable 65 ( represented by variable capacitor 64 ) can be measured with all of the switches c1 - cn open and this reading is subtracted from the individual readings obtained when each plate p1 - pn is sequentially activated to measure the capacitance between the selected plate and the common return plate 25 . the switches c1 - cn are sequentially closed normally under control of the microprocessor 67 . the switches c1 - cn can be either of a solid state nature , an electro - mechanical device , or a mechanical device . any interface circuits required to control the switching devices are dependent upon the switching device chosen and are well understood by those skilled in the art . in the use of the system , the capacitance probe 20 is positioned in the vessel chamber 5 so that it will extend downwardly sufficiently to intersect the emulsion / free water and gas / emulsion interfaces 40 , 41 . open the feed line inlet valve 3 and close the dump valve 12 , as illustrated in fig5 a , to initiate accumulation of a batch and to monitor the head until a batch has been accumulated ; close the feed line valve 3 and to instruct the shift registers 30 , 31 to commence sequentially enabling each of the oscillator circuits 28 and their respective active plates p1 - p16 , to determine the dielectric constant profile of the accumulated batch ; open the dump valve 12 , as illustrated in fig5 c , and monitor the head until the batch has been dumped ; close the dump valve 12 , as illustrated in fig5 d , and monitor the head until it is stable and determine the dielectric profile of the fluid remaining ; and during the steps shown in fig5 b and 5d , during which the batch is held , the microprocessor c is programmed to read the differential pressure transducer 26 and obtain a measure of h 3 , i . e . the total head which is contributed by the layers 16 and 17 of free water and emulsion , as shown in fig2 . the microprocessor c is further programmed to compare the frequency readings due to capacitance of the feed stock , as seen by plates p1 - p16 , to determine the heights at which the readings changed markedly , thereby identifying and locating the interfaces 40 and 41 . for example , the microprocessor c determines which plates of linear array 23 are below the emulsion / free water interface 40 , which plates are below the gas / emulsion interface 41 , and which plates of array 23 are intersected by the interfaces 40 , 41 . the microprocessor c then uses the following relationship to determine the heights h1 &# 39 ; and h2 &# 39 ; of the interfaces on the particular plates that are intersected : ## equ1 ## where r gas = reading 100 % gas , a program constant r e = average reading of the plates that are totally between the gas / emulsion and emulsion / free - water interface . similarly ## equ2 ## where r h20 = reading for 100 % formation water , a program constant as shown in fig3 the microprocessor c then calculates the heads h 1 and h 2 of the free water and emulsion layers respectively , using the following relationships : h 2 &# 39 ;= the height of interface 41 on plate p13 the head ( h e ) due to the emulsion may be calculated using the relationship : h 3 = the total head of the emulsion and free water as measured by the differential pressure transducer 26 sg w = known specific gravity of formation free water , a program constant . the specific gravity of the emulsion ( sg e ) may then be calculated using the relationship : having the specific gravity of the emulsion and the capacitance value for each of the plates p1 - p16 , the microprocessor c may calculate the oil / water ratio of the emulsion extending between a plate of array 23 and the return plate 25 . the microprocessor c may then average the oil / water ratios for the plates of array 23 in the emulsion layer 17 and determine a value . indicative of the overall oil / water ratio for the layer . more particularly , the readings associated with each plate of array 23 of the probe 20 are scaled by the microprocessor c in order to accommodate the end point and span variations in accordance with the relationship . other known mathematical techniques to compensate for end point and span variations can be used . ω oil = unscaled reading for 100 % oil ( formation ), a program constant for the particular plate ω h2o = unscaled reading for 100 % water ( formation ) a program constant for the particular plate n = scaler quantity desired for 100 % water scaled reading , a program constant the dielectric constants of gas and oil are small when compared to that of water . the microprocessor c therefore may calculate as a first approximation the volumetric ratio c v of water in the gassy emulsion in accordance with the relationship : this relationship was experimentally established for a given probe design . for example . in one instance , it was found to be : v w = c v [ v e ]= c v [ v g + v o + v w ] and ## equ4 ## a = cross sectional area of vessel cross sectional of probe , a program constant sg 0 = known specific gravity of the formation oil , a program constant . the scaled reading is then corrected to account for the entrained gas and used to obtain the mass cut of the emulsion in accordance with : n g = scaled reading for gas 100 %, a program constant then the mass cut c m can be calculated as follows : the prototype assembly described was tested by passing a production stream of gassy emulsion separately through it and comparing the calculated water cuts against centrifuged water cuts , with the following results : table 1______________________________________well spun cut calculated cut difference______________________________________well 9 - 16 46 % 44 . 5 % - 1 . 5 % 46 % 45 . 8 % - 0 . 2 % 48 % 46 . 7 % - 1 . 3 % 46 % 45 . 7 % - 0 . 3 % ______________________________________ the calculated cuts were the average cut readings of all of the plates covered by the emulsion whereas the spun cuts were obtained from small samples of the emulsion . the samples from well 3b13 contained water droplets mixed in the emulsion . it is believed that the higher calculated cut readings for well 3b13 are a result of the probe accounting for these water droplets , which were not accounted for with the spun cuts as they had separated from the emulsion prior to being spun . | 6 |
the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing an embodiment thereof . referring first to fig5 there is schematically shown the arrangement of a reverberation - imparting device according to an embodiment of the invention . the reverberation - imparting device of this embodiment is not used alone , but is adapted to be used together with another suitable reverberation - imparting device such as the proposed one previously described with reference to fig2 in a manner being connected thereto at a suitable part thereof , as in an application thereof , described later . as shown in fig5 the reverberation - imparting device according to the present embodiment is comprised of a delay line 1 formed by a ram , which has a similar function to the delay line 111 of the conventional device in fig2 multipliers 2 and 3 , an adder 4 for adding together outputs from the multipliers 2 , 3 , a cross - fade waveform - generator 5 for generating cross - fade waveforms , hereinafter referred to , a rise detector 6 for detecting leading edges of outputs from the cross - fade waveform - generator 5 , latch circuits 7 and 8 for latching input signals ( random numbers ) thereto , in response to leading edge - detection signals from the rise detector 6 , a random number generator 9 for generating random numbers and supplying the same to the latch circuits 7 , 8 , an address generator 12 for generating address values , and adders 10 and 11 for adding together outputs from the address generator 12 and outputs from the latch circuits 7 , 8 . an input signal to the reverberation - imparting circuit is first supplied to the delay line 1 , which in turn generates outputs through two different reading outputs corresponding to respective different reading addresses ra1 and ra2 , which are delivered to the multipliers 2 , 3 connected , respectively , to the two reading outputs . the multipliers 2 , 3 are , on the other hand , supplied with signals indicative of coefficients cf1 and cf2 ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; the cross - fade signals cf1 , cf2 ) from the cross - fade waveform generator 5 to multiply the outputs from the delay line 1 by the cross - fade signals cf1 , cf2 , respectively , and supply the resulting products to the adder 4 , where the two products are added together to be output to an external processing device such as the conventional reverberation - imparting device . the cross - fade signals cf1 , cf2 are generated from the cross - fade waveform generator 5 . the cross - fade signals cf1 , cf2 have cross - fade waveforms having speeds , i . e . repetition periods which are determined by the cross - fade waveform generator 5 , based on a signal for determining the repetition periods from a speed ( repetition period ) generator , not shown . the cross - fade signals cf1 , cf2 from the cross - fade waveform generator 5 are supplied to the rise detector 6 as well as to the multipliers 2 , 3 . upon detecting a rise ( leading edge ) of the cross - fade signal cf1 output from the cross - fade waveform generator 5 , the rise detector 6 generates and supplies a pulse s1 indicative of the detection of the rise to the latch circuit 7 , and upon detecting a rise ( leading edge ) of the cross - fade signal cf2 from the generator 5 , it generates and supplies a pulse s2 to the latch circuit 8 . the latch circuits 7 , 8 are also supplied with random numbers from the random number generator 9 . the random number generator 9 is supplied with a depth signal for determining an output range of random numbers , from a depth generator , not shown . outputs from the latch circuits 7 , 8 are delivered , respectively , to input terminals of the adders 10 , 11 , which have the other input terminals thereof supplied with address values from an address generator 12 . output signals indicative of the reading address values ra1 and ra2 from the adders 10 , 11 and an output signal indicative of a writing address value wa are supplied to a memory controller , not shown , which controls the delay line 111 so as to write the input signal into an address designated by the writing address value wa and read data from addresses designated by the reading address values ra1 , ra2 to be delivered to the multipliers 2 , 3 . the address generator 12 generates basic reading address values bra1 and bra2 as well as the writing address value wa . the basic reading address values bra1 , bra2 are added to respective outputs from the latch circuits 7 , 8 into the reading address values ra1 , ra2 . the memory controller decrements these address values ra1 , ra2 , and wa every sampling interval , and the decremented address values are used for writing and reading : data into and out of the delay line 1 , as stated above . if the outputs from the latch circuits 7 , 8 are equal to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the address values ra1 , ra2 become equal to the basic address values bra1 , bra2 , respectively . since the address values ra1 , ra2 , and wa are thus progressively decreased every sampling interval in a uniform manner , there occurs no change in the difference between these address values , i . e . there occurs no change in the delay time . however , after the outputs from the latch circuits 7 , 8 have been changed to random numbers in response to the pulses s1 , s2 , there occur changes between the address values ra1 and wa , and between the address values ra2 and wa , so that the delay time changes . the control operation of the reverberation - imparting device according to the present embodiment constructed above will now be described with reference to fig5 and 6 . fig6 shows , by way of example , the timing relationship between the cross - fade signals cf1 , cf2 , the pulses s1 , s2 from the rise detector 6 , and random number values rd1 , rd2 from the latch circuits 7 , 8 . as shown in fig6 before a time point t1 the cross - fade signal cf1 from the cross - fade waveform generator 5 assumes a high level of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, and the cross - fade signal cf2 from the generator 5 a low level of &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. at this time , as shown in the figure , the latch circuit 7 latches and generates a random number value rd1 from the random number generator 9 , while the latch circuit 8 latches and generates a random number value rd2 from the generator 9 . accordingly , the adder 10 adds together the random number value rd1 and the basic address value bra1 from the address generator 12 to generate the sum as the reading address value ra1 , and the adder 11 adds together the random number value rd2 and the basic address value bra2 value from the address generator 12 to generate the sum as the reading address value ra2 . then , data read from an address of the delay line 1 designated by the reading address value ra1 is multiplied by the value of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; of the cross - fade signal cf1 and the resulting product is delivered to the adder 4 , whereas data read from an address of the delay line 1 designated by the reading address value ra2 is multiplied by the value of &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; of the cross - fade signal cf2 and the resulting product , that is , &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, is delivered to the adder 4 . consequently , only the data read from the address designated by the reading address value ra1 is output from the adder 4 . then , at the time point t1 , the cross - fade signal cf1 starts to rise , whereupon the rise detector 6 generates a pulse s2 . upon rising of this pulse s2 , the latch circuit 8 latches a random number value rd4 then being generated from the random number generator 9 . the latched random number value rd4 is added to the basic address value bra2 from the address generator 12 at the adder 11 , and the resulting sum is output as the reading address value ra2 to the memory controller . the memory controller operates in response to this reading address value ra2 to read data from an address of the delay line 1 designated by the reading address value ra2 . on this occasion , data read from the address of the delay line 1 designated by the reading address value ra1 is multiplied by the cross - fade signal cf1 at the multiplier 2 , and the data read from the address of the delay line 1 designated by the reading address value ra2 is multiplied by the cross - fade signal cf2 at the multiplier 3 . the two kinds of data are added together by the adder 4 to be output . then , from the time point t1 to a time point t2 , the cross - fade signal cf1 progressively declines from &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, whereas the cross - fade signal cf2 progressively rises from &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. accordingly , the output from the adder 4 progressively changes from the value of data read from the address of the delay line 1 designated by the reading address value ra1 toward the value of data read from the address of the delay line 1 designated by the reading address value ra2 . then , at the time point t2 , the cross - fade signal cf1 starts to rise , whereupon the rise detector 6 generates a pulse s1 , and the latch circuit 7 operates in response to this pulse s1 to latch a random number value rd3 . the latched random number value rd3 and the basic address value bra1 from the address generator 12 are added together at the adder 10 into the reading address value ra1 , so that data is read from an address of the delay line 1 designated by the reading address value pa1 . thereafter , the output from the adder 4 progressively changes from the value of data read from an address of the delay line 1 designated by the reading address ra2 toward the value of data read from the address of the delay line 1 designated by the reading address ra1 , with a progressive increase in the cross - fade signal cf1 and a progressive decrease in the cross - fade signal cf2 . operations at time points t3 and t4 are similar to the above described operations at the time points t1 , t2 , description of which is therefore omitted . examples in which the present embodiment described above is actually applied to the device of fig2 will be described . in a first application , the data input ( write address wa of the delay line 1 ) of the present embodiment is connected to the reading output b in fig2 . then , as shown in fig7 an initial reflected sound waveform f is obtained , which is identical with one shown in fig1 . however , following the initial reflected sound waveform f , a subsequent reflected sound waveform ( reverberation sound waveform ) s &# 39 ; is obtained , which moves forward and backward at random timewise , as shown in fig7 . in a second application , the data input of the present embodiment is connected to the reading output d in fig2 . then , as shown in fig8 the time interval of generation of output pulses from the delay line 121 , i . e . delay time difference , varies at random , as distinct from the time interval shown in fig4 . as exemplified above , if the device according to the present invention is connected to outputs of the prior art reverberation - imparting device , the time delay amount of the output from the latter device varies at random due to the use of random numbers , thereby eliminating delay characteristics inherent in the circuitry and hence enabling to create a reverberation sound closer to natural sound . although in the above described applications , the device according to the embodiment of the invention is connected to the reading outputs b , d in fig2 this is not limitative , but it may be connected to any of the locations or reading outputs a1 to a12 , c1 , c2 in fig2 or e in fig3 . further , the device according to the embodiment may be connected to two or more locations of a device like one in fig2 at the same time , whereby better results may be obtained . although in the above described embodiment the basic reading address values bra1 , bra2 from the address generator 12 are set to different values from each other , they may be set to the same value , because the output from the random number generator 9 is latched by the latch circuits 7 , 8 at different timing , so that there is very little possibility that the outputs from the latch circuits 7 , 8 , hence the sums of the same outputs and the basic reading address values bra1 , bra2 which are different from each other , become identical with each other . further , although in the above described embodiment the invention is realized by a hardware construction , alternatively part of the circuit of fig5 may be replaced by software . for example , the rise detector 6 , the latch circuits 7 , 8 , and the random number generator 9 may be implemented by software executed by a microcomputer . the time intervals at which random numbers are latched by the latch circuits 7 , 8 depend upon the repetition period of the cross - fade signals cf1 , cf2 . if the repetition period is too short , the cross - fade frequency becomes higher , which degrades the phase characteristic . therefore , the repetition period should be set to an optimal value by a listening test . the optimal values of the above repetition period and the depth of random numbers from the random number generator depend upon the reading output ( s ) or location ( s ) to which the device according to the invention is connected . in most cases , they depend upon the range of delay time that data output from the reading output ( s ) or location ( s ). moreover , although in the above described embodiment the reading address values ra1 , ra2 are varied by adding together the outputs from the latch circuits 7 , 8 and the basic reading address values bra1 , bra2 , alternatively they may be modulated by multiplying basic reading address values by coefficients based on random numbers . further , although in the above described embodiment , random numbers from the random number generator 9 are latched by the latch circuits 7 , 8 at timing corresponding to rises ( e . g . leading edges ) of the cross - fade signals cf1 , cf2 , alternatively , they may be latched at timing corresponding to falls ( e . g . trailing edges ) of the cross - fade signals cf1 , cf2 . as described above , according to the invention constructed as above , delay characteristics inherent in the circuitry of the device can be eliminated , to thereby enable to create a reverberation sound closer to natural sound . besides , by virtue of the use of cross - fade means , the delay time is not abruptly varied , whereby noise can be avoided . | 6 |
referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views , fig1 shows an ergonomic support apparatus 10 for supporting a portion of a lower limb 12 of a user 14 . user 14 is seated in a reclining position in chair 16 having a headrest 18 , backrest 20 , seat cushion 22 , and arm rests 24 ( one shown ) directly or indirectly supported by chair base 26 . ergonomic support apparatus 10 includes main body portion 30 supporting lip or shoulder portion 32 sized and shaped to be received and supported by generally planar surface 34 of a desktop or workstation 36 supported at an elevation by legs 38 , 40 . with reference now to fig2 - 4 , it will be seen that main body portion is contemplated to be configured in any of a wide variety of shapes designed to receive a lower limb ( hereinafter understood to include a foot and / or calf and / or lower leg as so chosen by the user ). by way of example as will be more fully described and shown below , it will be appreciated that a generally triangular shaped main body portion 50 will comfortably receive a lower limb at an acute angle to the leading edge of the desk or workstation , while minimizing excessive overlap of the planar desk area on which it is to be received . as will be more fully described below in connection with fig6 - 11 , the generally triangular shape of the main body portion 50 may be substituted with circular , oval , ellipsoid , rectilinear , semi - circular , crescent or compound shapes including such geometric shapes to provide alternate lower limb receiving options . in a preferred embodiment , main body portion 50 transitions to downwardly extending supporting lip or shoulder portion 52 which is sized and shaped to be received and supported by generally planar surface 34 of a desktop or workstation 36 in embracing relationship to protect the user against direct contact with a leading edge of 58 of the desk or workstation 36 . with reference to fig3 , it will be seen that a concavity 60 may be optionally formed in the main body portion 50 to assist in positioning and retaining the lower limb during use of the apparatus 10 . it will be appreciated that a single concavity 60 may be provided extending in a direction perpendicular to the major axis of lip or shoulder portion 52 , and centered in relationship thereto , or alternatively , a plurality of concavities may be provided at acute angles to the lip or shoulder portion 52 to accommodate a user &# 39 ; s limb extending also at an acute angle , such as might be expected when the user is seated other than square with the leading edge of 58 of the desk or workstation 36 . with reference to fig5 , main body portion 50 and lip or shoulder portion 52 may be further formed with a memory foam or other shape compliant material , and optionally , an internally contained metallic or non - metallic frame , truss , or brace 62 may be provided to provide even greater structural enhancement . with regard to the such materials of construction , memory foams of desired density and resiliency may be selected as will be appreciated by the skilled artisan . alternatively , shaped cushions may be filled with compressed air , gels , silicon , or non - memory foams depending on intended use and market factors . it is further contemplated that slip covers ( not shown ) may be provided which are sized and shaped to accommodate the structural fillings . with regard to frame 62 , it will be further appreciated by the skilled artisan that such frame may be constructed of metals such as aluminum , steel or other metallic components or alloys or combinations thereof , or of non - metallic components such as plastics , wood , or even heavier density plastics acting in cooperation with the basic foam construction to achieve an ergonomic support apparatus 10 having desired flexibility / rigidity properties . no matter which construction is selected , the apparatus may be simply installed about the leading edge of the desk 36 in opposing relationship with the user 14 and supported in place by the resulting friction between the lower surface 51 of main body portion 50 and generally planar surface 34 of desktop or workstation 36 . alternatively , enhanced friction may be provided by providing a textured surface to the lower surface 51 of main body portion 50 to prevent undesired slippage therebetween when the user moves his lower limb . yet other slippage reduction apparatus may be provided , including but not limited to one or more suction cups secured to lower surface 51 for adhesion to the selected surface 34 ( whether planar or not ). a further embodiment contemplates the use of “ c ” shaped clamp installed at the underside of main body portion 50 , for removable installation to a desk or workstation having an exposed edge to which the clamp may be removably secured . such clamp may include either a screw type tensioning attachment , or may be constructed with a flexible , memory - based material ( metallic or polymeric ) for being secured to an exposed edge . ideally , any such attachment means includes surfaces and edges which are non - destructive and non - marring when applied to the desk surface . with reference now to fig6 - 11 , additional preferred embodiments of the support apparatus 10 are shown , all of which utilize the underlying construction previously described . specifically , fig6 shows a right triangle shaped main body portion 70 and a lip or shoulder portion 72 extending therefrom . fig7 shows a unilateral triangular shaped main body portion 74 and a lip or shoulder portion 76 extending therefrom . fig8 shows a generally circular shaped main body portion 78 and a generally circular lip or shoulder portion 80 extending therefrom . fig9 shows a generally circular shaped main body portion 82 and a generally straight lip or shoulder portion 84 extending therefrom . fig1 shows a generally planar main body portion 86 and an orthogonally oriented planar lip or shoulder portion 88 extending therefrom . fig1 shows a generally planar main body portion 90 such as that shown in fig1 , and an orthogonally oriented planar lip or shoulder portion 92 extending therefrom by interconnecting straps or panels 94 . it will be appreciated that straps / panels 94 may be adjusted in length co raise or lower the height of lip or shoulder portion 92 relative to main body portion 90 as necessary or desirable to overlap a surface edge ( such as surface edge 58 , fig1 ) for the reasons previously discussed . with reference now to fig1 - 14 , the upper surface of main body portion of any of the disclosed embodiments of any shape may be provided with a generally planar limb receiving upper surface 94 ( fig1 ), a reverse sloping limb receiving upper surface 96 ( fig1 ), or a reverse sloping limb receiving upper surface 98 transitioning to a concavity 100 bounded by a rear forward sloping surface 102 . it will be further appreciated that a central concavity 60 such as that shown in fig2 and fig3 , or any other concavity such as those previously described may be formed in the main body portions shown in fig1 - 14 , and any such combination is to be construed as being with the scope and spirit of the present invention . it is to be understood that although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments , workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broader aspects and , therefore the aim in the appended claims is to cover such changes and modifications as may fall within the scope and spirit of the invention . | 0 |
the process to form the desired imidazolinium salt involves four steps : imidazoline formation , michael addition to the imidazoline , amidation and quaternization . all of these reactions are individually known in the art . the imidazoline precursor for the desired imidazoline salt has the formula ## str5 ## methods for preparing these imidazolines are well - known in the art . this precursor is conveniently prepared by reacting ethylene polyamine of the formula ## str6 ## wherein r 3 , r 4 , y and n have the aforementioned meanings , with an acylating reactants , such as a carboxylic acid , ester or acid chloride , having the acyl group ## str7 ## wherein r has the aforementioned identity . this reaction proceeds efficiently at elevated temperatures , generally from about 100 ° c . to about 250 ° c ., with the evolution of water which is removed by distillation during the course of the reaction . to facilitate the reaction , reduced pressure can be advantageously employed . normally , essentially equimolar quantities of the reactants are employed , but an excess of either reactant can operably be present . the progress of the reaction can be monitored by the amount of water recovered in the distillate . two moles of water are generated for each mole of imidazoline formed , one mole of water being produced in the condensation reaction to an amide and a second mole of water being produced in the cyclodehydration reaction to the imidazoline . preferably , the reactants are substantially completely ( greater than 90 mole percent ) converted to the imidazoline . the imidazoline product can be readily recovered by distillation at reduced pressure to remove the more volatile unreacted reactants and impurities as necessary . the preferred acylating reactants are fatty acids or mixtures thereof having an aliphatic group of from 9 to 23 carbon atoms , so that r has from 8 to 22 carbon atoms . examples of such fatty acids include lauric , oleic , decanoic , undecanoic , stearic , linoleic , palmitic acids and the like . especially preferred fatty acids are crude mixtures thereof derived from vegetable or animal oils , such as tall oil , soybean oil or coconut oil . alkyl esters of the aforementioned fatty acids and the naturally occurring glyceride esters are also operable . the polyamine reactant is preferably ethylenediamine , diethylenetriamine , linear triethylenetetraamine or aminoethylethanolamine , i . e ., r 3 and r 4 in the compound of formula iii are each hydrogen . more preferably , the polyamine reactant is diethylenetriamine or aminoethylethanolamine . the most preferred polyamine reactant is aminoethylethanolamine . the imidazoline precursor represented by formula ii is reacted with an α , β - unsaturated carboxylic acid ester ( iv ), as illustrated by the following equation : ## str8 ## wherein r a is hydrogen , methyl or ## str9 ## r d is a c 1 - c 4 alkyl ; and the other symbols have the aforementioned identities . the reaction between the imidazoline of formula ii and the unsaturated ester of formula iv occurs rapidly at room temperature ( 20 ° c .) or above in a liquid reaction medium . if the imidazoline formation is substantially complete , the compound of formula iv can be introduced directly into the post - reaction mixture from step a . otherwise a prior distillation of this post - reaction mixture may be necessary . it is generally advantageous to maintain the reaction temperature at less than 100 ° c . it is preferred that the reaction be carried out in a neat liquid medium , with agitation at least until the solution becomes homogeneous . the reaction is preferably performed under an inert gas atmosphere ( e . g . nitrogen ). typically , equimolar quantities of the reactants are employed . although an excess of either reactant is operable , this excess must be removed by distillation from the product and therefore , is not desirable . the reaction is usually exothermic and this assists in maintaining a reaction temperature which promotes rapid reaction . the reactant of formula iv is preferably methyl acrylate , ethyl acrylate , propyl acrylate , butyl acrylate , methyl methacrylate , or ethyl methacrylate . more preferably , this reactant is methyl acrylate , ethyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate . the compound of formula i can be conveniently recovered by distillation of the more volatile components of the reaction mixture , as necessary . the imidazoline represented by formula v is reacted with a primary or secondary amine of the formula h -- nr 7 r 8 , wherein the symbols have the aforementioned identities , to produce an imidazoline represented by the formula ## str10 ## preferably , r 8 is hydrogen and r 7 is a c 8 - c 22 aliphatic group . if r in formula v is not a c 8 - c 22 aliphatic group , then r 7 must be a c 8 - c 22 aliphatic group . the amidation reaction proceeds efficiently at elevated temperatures , generally from about 100 ° c . to about 250 ° c ., with the evolution of a lower alkanol which is removed by distillation during the course of the reaction . to facilitate the reaction , it is best to perform it at reduced pressure . the progress of the reaction can be monitored by the amount of alkanol recovered . preferably , stoichiometric quantities of the reactants are employed . thus , equimolar quantities of the amine and imidazoline are preferably employed , unless r a in the compound of formula v is an ester moiety , in which case a 2 : 1 mole ratio of the amine to the imidazoline is preferred . if an excess of either reactant is employed , then the compound of formula vi can be recovered by distillation of the reaction mixture . the compound of formula vi is reacted with an alkylating agent in a known manner to prepare the quaternary imidazolinium salt represented by formulae i or ia . the alkylating agent employed to prepare the salt of formula i can be any one of a number of known agents , such as , methylchloride , ethylbromide , diethylsulfate , dimethylsulfate , hexadecylchloride , and the like , but dimethylsulfate is preferred . in formula i , r 2 is an alkyl or aralkyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms , preferably a c 1 - c 4 alkyl and x is an anion associated with the alkylating agent , representative anions include chloride , bromide , methylsulfate , ethylsulfate and the like . in formula ia , the salt is an inner salt prepared using acrylic acid or methacrylic acid as the alkylating agent . the quaternary imidazolinium salt represented by formula i is preferred . equimolar quantities of the alkylating agent and the imidazoline are operable , but a slight excess of the alkylating agent is preferred to assure maximum quaternization . the excess of the alkylating agent is desirably sufficient to effect a ph in the reaction medium of from about 5 to about 7 . the reaction temperature is desirably from about 40 ° c . to about 80 ° c . and from about 1 to about 12 hours are necessary to complete the reaction . the imidazolinium salts of formulae i or ia impart superior softening to fabrics , while reducing fabric static charge and retention . the fabric conditioning compositions containing the instant imidazolinium salt are preferably aqueous and contain an effective concentration of the conditioning agent . these compositions preferably contain from about 0 . 1 to about 10 weight percent , most preferably from about 2 to about 5 weight percent , of the instant salt . in addition to the subject quaternary imidazolinium salt , the fabric conditioning compositions of the present invention can contain other fabric conditioning agents , such as , antistatic agents , softeners and whiteners . many of these prior art fabric conditioning agents are described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 127 , 489 , the relevant portions of which are incorporated herein by reference . other adjuvants can also be employed to advantage in the fabric conditioning composition . these adjuvants include aldehyde preservatives , emulsifiers , thickeners , opacifiers , coloring agents , brighteners , fluorescers , ph adjustment agents and perfumes . the aqueous fabric conditioning compositions herein can be prepared by adding the instant fabric softening and static control agents to water using conventional techniques . for example , the agent or agents can be heated to form a liquid oily phase , which is then added to water at elevated temperatures with mixing . adjuvants are added in accordance with methods known in the art . the fabric conditioning composition is then adjusted to a ph of from about 3 to about 9 , preferably from about 4 . 5 to about 7 . the compositions of the present invention are used in one preferred embodiment in the rinse cycle of the conventional automatic laundry operations . generally , rinse water has a temperature of from about 15 ° c . to about 60 ° c . when compositions of the present invention are added to the rinse cycle , the fabric conditioning agents are generally present at levels of from about 2 parts per million ( ppm ) to about 500 ppm , preferably about 10 ppm to about 100 ppm . the concentration levels achieve superior fabric softening and static control . in general , the invention herein in its fabric conditioning method aspect comprises : ( a ) washing fabrics in a conventional automatic washing machine with a detergent composition ( normally containing a surfactant or mixture of surfactants selected from the group consisting of anionic , nonionic , amphoteric or ampholytic surfactants ), ( b ) rinsing the fabrics , and ( c ) adding during the rinse stage of the operation the above - described levels of the fabric conditioning agents . preferably , a final step ( d ) includes drying the fabrics in an automatic dryer at a temperature of at least about 38 ° c . this drying stage facilitates spreading of the fabric conditioning materials herein across the fabric surfaces . the following examples further illustrate the invention . all parts and percentages in the examples are by weight unless otherwise specified . in a series of ten similar reactions , 1 mole of an imidazoline represented by formula ii , wherein n is 0 , r is an alkyl identified in table i , and r 3 and r 4 are each hydrogen , was charged to a reaction vessel and heated to 90 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere . one mole of methyl acrylate was added to the reaction vessel with stirring at a rate slow enough to maintain a reaction temperature of about 95 ° c . after the addition of the methyl acrylate was completed , the reaction temperature was maintained at 100 ° c . for 30 minutes . one mole of a primary amine , r 7 nh 2 , wherein r 7 is tabulated in table i , was charged to the reaction mixture and the reaction temperature was increased to 180 °- 200 ° c . this reaction temperature was maintained , while methanol distilled from the mixture . infrared spectrophotometric analysis after 3 hours confirmed that no ester remained in the reaction mixture . the reaction mixture was cooled to 80 °- 100 ° c . one mole of dimethylsulfate was added to the stirred reaction mixture at a rate slow enough to maintain a reaction temperature of about 125 ° c . the reaction mixture was maintained at 130 ° c . for an additional hour . the product was analyzed by the conventional techniques of infrared spectrophotometric and proton magnetic resonance analysis . the structure for the product represented by formula i was confirmed , wherein n , r 8 , r 3 , r 4 each have the identities mentioned above ; r 5 and r 6 are each hydrogen , r 2 is methyl ; x . sup .⊖ is a methylsulfate anion and r and r 7 have the identities tabulated in table i . the desired salt was obtained in essentially quantitative yield in each example . table i______________________________________example r r . sub . 7______________________________________1 -- c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 -- c . sub . 8 h . sub . 172 -- c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 -- c . sub . 12 h . sub . 253 -- c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 -- c . sub . 18 h . sub . 374 -- c . sub . 7 h . sub . 15 -- c . sub . 8 h . sub . 175 -- c . sub . 7 h . sub . 15 -- c . sub . 12 h . sub . 256 -- c . sub . 7 h . sub . 15 -- c . sub . 18 h . sub . 377 -- c . sub . 11 h . sub . 23 -- c . sub . 8 h . sub . 178 -- c . sub . 11 h . sub . 23 -- c . sub . 12 h . sub . 259 -- c . sub . 11 h . sub . 23 -- c . sub . 18 h . sub . 3710 -- c . sub . 18 h . sub . 37 -- c . sub . 18 h . sub . 37______________________________________ in a manner otherwise identical to example 2 , one mole of acrylic acid was employed as the alkylating agent in place of the dimethylsulfate and reacted for three hours at 130 ° c . with the imidazoline amide of formula v . the product was found by conventional analytical techniques to correspond to formula ia , wherein n is 0 , r 3 - r 7 and r 9 are each hydrogen , r is ethyl and r 8 is dodecyl . in a series of three similar reactions , 1 mole of an imidazoline represented by formula ii , wherein n is 1 ; y is -- o --; r is an alkyl or alkenyl identified in table ii and r 3 and r 4 are each hydrogen , was charged to a reaction vessel and heated to 90 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere . one mole of methyl acrylate was added to the reaction vessel with stirring at a rate slow enough to maintain a reaction temperature of about 95 ° c . after addition of the methyl acrylate , the reaction temperature was maintained at 100 ° c . for 3 hours . one mole of a primary amine , r 7 nh 2 , wherein r 7 is an alkyl identified in table ii , was charged to the stirred reaction mixture and the reaction temperature was maintained at 100 ° c . for 30 minutes . this reaction temperature was maintained , while methanol distilled from the mixture . infrared spectrophotometric analysis after 3 hours confirmed that no ester remained in the reaction mixture . the reaction mixture was cooled to 80 °- 100 ° c . one mole of dimethylsulfate was added to the stirred reaction mixture at a rate slow enough to maintain a reaction temperature of about 125 ° c . the reaction mixture was maintained at 130 ° c . for an additional hour . the structure of the product was elucidated by conventional analytical techniques and can be represented by formula i , wherein r and r 7 are each alkyls or alkenyls tabulated in table ii ; y , n , r 3 , r 4 and r 8 each have the aforementioned identities ; r 5 and r 6 are each hydrogen ; r 2 is methyl and x . sup .⊖ is a methylsulfate anion . the desired salt was obtained in essentially quantitative yield in each example . table ii______________________________________example r r . sub . 7______________________________________12 -- c . sub . 17 h . sub . 35 -- c . sub . 18 h . sub . 3713 -- c . sub . 17 h . sub . 33 -- c . sub . 18 h . sub . 3714 -- c . sub . 17 h . sub . 33 -- c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9______________________________________ in a series of three reactions , 0 . 2 mole of an imidazoline represented by formula ii , wherein n is 1 ; y is -- nh --; r is an alkyl identified in table iii and r 3 and r 4 are each hydrogen , was reacted with 0 . 2 mole of methyl acrylate in a manner otherwise identical to example 1 . two tenths mole of a primary amine , r 7 nh 2 , was charged to the reaction mixture and the reaction temperature was increased to 200 ° c . this reaction temperature was maintained while methanol distilled from the mixture . infrared spectrophotometric analysis after 4 hours confirmed that no ester remained in the reaction mixture . the reaction mixture was cooled to 90 ° c . and then 0 . 2 mole of dimethylsulfate was slowly added with stirring . the stirred reaction mixture was maintained at 100 ° c . for an additional hour . the product was determined by conventional analytical techniques to correspond to formula i , wherein r and r 7 are each alkyls tabulated in table iii ; y , n , r 3 , r 4 , and r 8 each have the aforementioned identities ; r 5 and r 6 are each hydrogen , r 2 is methyl and x . sup .⊖ is a methylsulfate anion . table iii______________________________________example r r . sub . 7______________________________________15 -- c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 -- c . sub . 12 h . sub . 2516 -- c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 -- c . sub . 18 h . sub . 3717 -- c . sub . 17 h . sub . 35 -- c . sub . 18 h . sub . 35______________________________________ an 8 . 5 pound load of shirts , sheets , socks and polyester , polyester / cotton and nylon swatches were repeatedly washed in a conventional washing machine with a cup of a typical commercial alkyl benzene sulfonate - based detergent . the temperature of the wash water was 50 ° c . and the temperature of the rinse water was 25 ° c . in three of the washes , either 3 or 5 grams of the imidazolinium salt prepared in example 12 was added in an aqueous solution during the wash or rinse cycle . between each of the fabric softener tests the laundry was washed three times to remove residual softener . in one wash not embodying this invention , no fabric softening agent was employed . the laundry was dried after washing in a conventional clothes dryer and the static charge of a shirt and three swatches of cloth was measured with a simco electrostatic locator at a distance of six inches . the degree of softness of the cloth was subjectively determined by the operator feeling the laundered fabric in each case . the operating parameters and results of these tests are tabulated in table iv . table iv______________________________________agent staticloading agent ( kilovolts ) example ( grams ) added swatches shirt softening______________________________________18 5 rinse 0 . 0 - 0 . 5 0 . 8 good19 5 wash 2 . 0 - 2 . 5 1 . 0 slight20 3 rinse 0 . 0 - 0 . 5 1 . 0 moderatecompara - none not 2 . 0 - 4 . 0 4 . 0 harsh feeltive exper - appli - iment cable______________________________________ an 8 . 25 pound load of shirts , sheets , and socks were washed in a conventional washing machine at 45 ° c . with 0 . 5 cup of a typical commercial alkyl benzene sulfonate - based detergent . at the beginning of the rinse cycle , a 5 . 0 gram sample of the imidazolinium salt prepared in example 17 dissolved in 95 grams of ethanol was added to the laundry . the laundry was dried after washing and the static charge of several shirts was measured with a simco electrostatic locator at a distance of six inches . the measured static charge of these shirts is tabulated in table v under &# 34 ; agent - 17 &# 34 ;. this laundry was washed three times in the detergent alone to remove the fabric conditioning agent residue , dried and the static charge of the garments was measured once more as described above . the measured static charge is tabulated in table v under the heading &# 34 ; comparative experiment &# 34 ;. the laundry was washed once more and 5 . 0 grams of the imidazolinium salt prepared in example 13 dissolved in 95 grams of ethanol was added during the rinse cycle . the laundry was dried and the static charge measured as above . the measured static charge is tabulated in table v under the heading &# 34 ; agent - 13 &# 34 ;. table v______________________________________ static charge ( kilovolts ) shirt fabric comparativeno . composition agent - 17 experiment agent - 13______________________________________1 65 % polyester / 0 . 0 - 4 . 0 0 . 5 35 % cotton2 100 % nylon 0 . 0 20 . 0 2 . 03 65 % polyester / 0 . 5 - 5 . 0 - 0 . 5 35 % cotton4 100 % polyester - 1 . 0 - 10 . 0 - 0 . 55 100 % nylon - 1 . 0 25 . 0 - 1 . 56 65 % polyester / - 0 . 3 - 9 . 0 - 0 . 5 35 % cotton7 100 % polyester - 1 . 0 - 11 . 0 - 3 . 08 100 % polyester - 1 . 75 - 9 . 0 - 1 . 0______________________________________ | 3 |
fig1 and 2 together illustrate a gaming table 10 and controls associated therewith installed as a portion of a system of the present invention . the system of this invention is specifically designed to permit quick and inexpensive retrofit of existing gaming tables or as an original manufacture option for a gaming table installed in a casino to incorporate this invention . another advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that some of the gaming tables 10 may be fitted with the controls of this invention independent of other tables in the same poker room which are not fitted with the controls . referring now to fig1 and 2 , the table 10 is shown with a plurality of player areas ( seats ) 12 , of which ten such areas are illustrated , although more or preferably fewer may be so designated . a control panel 14 is installed on the table at a location easily accessible to the dealer , such as adjacent a dealer location 16 . a chip rack 18 is also typically present directly in front of the dealer &# 39 ; s station . further details of the control panel and its associated components are provided in fig2 and the presently preferred embodiment of the control panel 14 itself is shown and described below in respect of fig6 . in operation , when a player approaches the table and wants to sit down to play , if a player area 12 is both unoccupied and unreserved , as described below , the dealer takes the player &# 39 ; s magnetic identification card and swipes the players identifying data at a card reader 20 on the control panel 14 . data from the card , for tracking and other purposes , is gathered at a terminal device 22 , preferably located below table level . data is packetized and transmitted in bursts from a transmitter 24 to a central computer for the casino , shown and described below in respect of fig3 and 4 . in addition , a player may be added from the central computer via a magnetic card swipe or “ player lookup ” function . when a player is added from the central computer , data is sent to the panel at the table to activate the led associated with the player &# 39 ; s seat . a player may also be added as a “ guest ” from the table panel or from the central computer when he doesn &# 39 ; t have a player &# 39 ; s card or wishes not to use one . the player may later be associated with his player account from the central computer . the system incorporates an existing casino drop 28 or jackpot drop 26 where chips are placed . for each hand , the dealer inserts one or more chips into the casino or jackpot drop . the jackpot drop or casino drop may be used to track the number of hands being played at that particular table . the control panel 14 includes a plurality of buttons 30 , one button designating each of the player areas 12 . an unlit button indicates that no one is sitting at that designated player area , and thus anyone can sit there and begin to play . a lighted button indicates that a player has logged in and is currently playing at that designated area . if a player gets up to take a break , then the dealer logs that player as temporarily away ( i . e . “ lobbying ”), and the button begins to glow at a lower intensity and / or with a low level pulse , for example . this indicates that no one is currently sitting at that area , but it is reserved for when the player returns . once the player returns and is logged back into play at that table , the button is pressed and it reverts to glowing with a steady glow . the control panel 14 includes the controls for illumination of the buttons 30 as just described . the control panel also includes a button 32 to call for services , as described below , and a button 34 for summoning a supervisor or moving a player from one seat to another , also as described below . finally , an “ in / out ” button is provided for the dealer to log a player out of the system when he is through playing . the “ in / out ” button may also be used for dealer login at the table and for a call for chip service . fig3 and 4 illustrate an overall system diagram of the system of the present invention . fig3 shows a hardwired configuration of the system , while fig4 illustrates a wireless configuration . referring first to fig3 , each table which is incorporated into an overall system of this invention includes a transmitter 24 , as previously described , to send data from the table , including log - in and log - out data regarding the players at that table . the electronics at the table , including the control panel and the transmitter , are powered from a power source 40 and preferably an uninterruptible power supply ( ups ) 42 . a ups is a power supply that includes a battery to maintain power in the event of a power outage . typically , a ups keeps a computer running for several minutes after a power outage , enabling the operator to save data that is in ram and shut down the computer gracefully . many upss now offer a software component that enables one to automate backup and shut down procedures in case there is a power failure while the computer is unattended , for some reason . for the present application , maintenance of the continuity of power is important to the good will of the casino , particularly in compensating the good clients of that casino . in the embodiment of fig3 , data from the transmitter 24 is transmitted over a communications cable 44 , such as a hardwired ethernet cable as shown , to a switch 46 . the switch 46 acts as a multiplexer , receiving data packets from the plurality of tables distributed around the poker room , and sending the data to a number of stations for manipulation , analysis , and storage . the station which receives data from and transmits data to the switch 46 is the application server 58 with its own ups 60 , which acts as a gateway between the transmitter and the database server and the central computer . the station which receives data from the application server 58 is a database server 54 powered by its own ups 56 . the server 54 , preferably a structured query language ( sql ) type server , maintains the customer records , accounting data , historical data , records of play at the casino , player queue data , and the like . the station which retrieves data from the database server 54 and transmits data to the application server 58 and database server 54 is a central computer 48 , also referred to herein as the main “ pit ” computer . the central computer is responsible for displaying the activity throughout the poker room to a supervisor , for which the central computer 48 is provided with a monitor or graphical user interface 49 . the central computer is also provided with a printer for printing hard copy reports , as required , and the central computer and peripheral equipment may be powered from a ups 50 . the embodiment illustrated in fig4 includes the same basic elemental building blocks as the embodiment of fig3 , except that the various tables communicate with the application server wirelessly . each table includes a wireless bridge 70 which is powered by the ups 42 which powers the electronics of the table 10 . the wireless bridge transmits to a wireless access point 74 which is powered by a dedicated ups 76 . the wireless bridge communicates wirelessly , as indicated by a dotted line 72 in the drawing figure . the great advantage in this , the presently preferred embodiment of the invention , is that cables 44 need not be strung throughout the casino floor in order for the tables to communicate with the application server 48 . now that the basic structure of the system has been described , those of skill in the art will understand the following description of the operation of this invention . to begin play , a player sits at a poker table ( table 1 , seat 1 at a seat 12 ) and hands the dealer his player &# 39 ; s card . the player &# 39 ; s card includes a magnetic stripe in the conventional fashion to carry the player &# 39 ; s identifying data . the dealer swipes data from the card into the magnetic card reader on the control panel 14 and the dealer pushes the led button # 1 of the buttons 30 . this sends a data signal ( name and any other information on the card ) from the transmitter 24 to the application server 58 and logs the player into the system at table 1 , seat 1 . button # 1 is illuminated with a steady glow indicating the player &# 39 ; s time starts . if the player does not have a player &# 39 ; s card , the dealer registers the player as a guest by pressing the in / out button 86 , for example , and the above procedure is repeated . the guest may also be logged into the system as described below in respect of the preferred embodiment of the control panel 14 . any time a player leaves the game temporarily , the dealer presses the associated seat number button 30 and the player &# 39 ; s time stops . the indicator light associated with the seat to which the player was assigned begins to blink . when the player returns , the button is pressed and his time is started again , at which time the light glows steadily again . when a player leaves the game , an in / out button 86 is pressed then the player &# 39 ; s seat number button is pressed and the player is checked out . other visual indicators of “ logged in ”, “ lobbying ”, and “ logged out ” may of course be used . if at any time during play , a problem with the game arises , ( player betting out of turn , dealer misinterpreting a player , etc .) the pit supervisor must come to the table to correct the problem . the pit supervisor may be summoned or signaled with the appropriate supervisor decision button 89 on the control panel 14 by holding down the button for 2 . 5 seconds . notification can be accomplished by visual display , emailing , paging , internet or automated public announcement . after the problem has been resolved , the supervisor or dealer presses the decision button for 2 . 5 seconds to turn the signal off . the decision is later noted and categorized at the central computer . the number of times a decision has to be made as well as the particular decision made is tracked . if a player needs beverage or food service , the dealer presses the service button 88 and the data is sent to the service department that service is need at the table . notification can be accomplished by visual display , emailing , paging , internet or automated public announcement . if chip fill or credit is needed at the table , the dealer presses and holds the in / out button 86 for 2 . 5 seconds . notification can be accomplished by visual display , emailing , paging , internet or automated public announcement . the system tracks the number of hands played by a light or mechanical sensor placed in the casino drop slot 28 or jackpot drop 26 indicating a played hand when chips are dropped . this can also be accomplished with the pressing of a button , switch , voice recognition , etc . thus , the system as just described tracks the total accumulated time for each player . once a player accumulates a total predetermined time of playing at poker tables , for example fifty hours , the casino typically will want to reward the player with a comp . as previously described , the present invention also provides a means for a supervisor to track the progress of play , and during certain circumstances , such as during a tournament , to direct certain aspects of poker play throughout the poker room . the present invention also facilitates the management of a queue of players waiting for a seat vacancy in a desired game . fig5 depicts a screen display 100 of one aspect of this monitoring function provided on the monitor 49 as the central computer 49 . the screen display is a scale model of the layout of the poker room , and includes a depiction of a podium 80 , for example , where the pit supervisor will typically be posted . the display includes the plurality of tables 10 , each includes a number of player seats 12 . for the ease of the supervisor , the tables are displayed in a variety of colors , such as for example : white table closed yellow 1 or 2 seats open red 3 or more seats open green table full blue tournament table the players seats 12 shown on the screen may also be color coded according to the following scheme : white seat open yellow lobby less than 15 minutes red lobby 15 minutes or more green seat occupied each table may also include a legend 102 showing the game and stakes at each table . for example , the table that is numbered “ 20 ” in fig5 includes the legend that this table is a $ 2 -$ 4 hold &# 39 ; em table , etc . note also that a tournament may be carried out alongside other non - tournament tables within the scope and spirit of the invention . fig6 depicts a presently preferred embodiment of a control panel 14 of the invention . the control panel includes a row of buttons 82 and a corresponding row of indicator lights 84 . the control panel displayed is presently preferred because it combines the best features of low cost and durability in the environment in which the invention finds application . the buttons 82 are numbered 1 - 10 , corresponding to the seats 12 at the table . fewer seats may be used , if desired . each control button 82 includes an indicator light 84 associated with it . the panel 14 also includes an input / output ( i / o ) button 86 with an associated indicator light 86 ′; a food / beverage ( f / b ) button 88 with an associated indicator light 88 ′; and a supervisor / decision button 89 with an associated indicator light 89 ′. the functions of these buttons and indicator lights will be described below . the panel 14 also includes a hand counter 85 . for each hand that is dealt , the dealer inserts a chip from the ante pile into the counter 85 . the counter includes a lamp 90 and a photodiode 92 . so long as the photodiode detects a light from the lamp 90 , the system is in steady state . when a chip passes between the lamp and the diode , the hand counter associated with that table is incremented , thus keeping an accurate track of the number of hands dealt at that table and by the dealer that is logged into that table . hand counts can also be monitored with a light sensor placed in the casino drop 28 . when the dealer pulls back the drop a photo sensor detects ambient light and the hand counter associated with that table is incremented , thus keeping an accurate track of the number of hands dealt at that table and by the dealer that is logged into that table . the control panel provides a means for the system to keep track of the accumulated time played by each player at the table . to check a player into a seat , the dealer swipes the player &# 39 ; s card ( the i / o light 86 ′ goes on ). the dealer then presses a seat number button 82 ( the seat light 84 goes on and i / o light 86 ′ goes off ). if the player does not present the dealer with an identification card , the dealer may press the i / o button 86 ( the i / o 86 ′ light goes on ) and then presses seat number button 82 ( the seat light 84 goes on and i / o light 86 ′ goes off ). if desired , the player may be logged into the system by a pit supervisor or other casino personnel at the central computer 48 . to check a player out of a seat , the dealer presses the i / o button 86 and then presses the seat number 82 to which the player was assigned ( the seat light 84 goes off ). alternatively , the player may be checked out the system by a pit supervisor at the central computer . to place a player in “ lobby ” ( i . e . to temporarily turn off the tracking clock , but keep the seat reserved for the player ), the dealer presses the seat number of guest in lobby ( the player &# 39 ; s seat light 84 flashes ). this action turns the seat indicator on the display 100 to a yellow color . to take a player out of “ lobby ”, the dealer presses the seat number 82 of the player in lobby and the seat light 84 goes on steady . to check a dealer into a table , the dealer swipes his employee identification card with the card reader 20 ( the i / o light 86 ′ goes on ) and the he presses the i / o button 86 ( the i / o light 86 ′ goes off ). alternatively , a pit supervisor may log the dealer into the system at the central computer . to mark a supervisor decision at table , the dealer holds down the s / d button 89 for 2 . 5 seconds ( the s / d light will blink to signal acceptance ) and then the supervisor clicks on a decision icon and classifies the decision at the central computer , or a similar action . to move a player from one seat to another seat , the dealer presses the s / d button 89 and then presses the control button 82 for the seat from which the player is moving and then the control button 82 for the seat to which the player is moving . if the player wishes to move from one table to another , he is logged out of the system at the table that he is moving from and logs back into the system at the new table . alternatively , a pit supervisor may move the player from seat to seat or table to table at the central computer . to request a chip fill or credit , the dealer presses the i / o button for 2 . 5 seconds ( the i / o button will blink to signal acceptance ). the principles , preferred embodiment , and mode of operation of the present invention have been described in the foregoing specification . this invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed , since these are regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive . moreover , variations and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 6 |
fig1 is an embodiment of a device of the present invention . the device consists of an nc machine tool ( machining center ) that conducts thermal displacement correction , a temperature sensor , a temperature measuring device , a storage device that stores each parameter , a correction device that computes a correction value based on the detected temperature and nc unit information , and an nc unit that conducts a numerical control on the machine tool . here , the thermal displacement in x - axis direction where the dimension of a workpiece and moving distance are large will be explained as an example . fig1 is a side schematic view of a double - column machining center . columns 6 , 6 are disposed on opposite sides of a bed 1 ( in the direction orthogonal to a drawing sheet ). between the columns 6 , 6 , across rail ( not shown ) is bridged transversely , and a saddle 7 is mounted on the cross rail movable in the y - axis direction orthogonal to the drawing sheet . a main spindle 8 is attached on the saddle 7 movable in the z - axis direction that is vertical . at the distal end of the main spindle 8 , a tool 9 is rotatably connected . above the bed 1 , a table 4 is disposed movable in the x - axis direction parallel to the drawing sheet , and a workpiece 5 is fixed on the table 4 . the position of the table 4 in the x - axis direction is determined by a scale 2 disposed on the bed 1 and a scale detector 3 fixed on the table 4 . the temperature sensors are preferably disposed oil each component of the machine tool , in particular , a component that relatively moves a cutting edge and a workpiece in the axial direction to be corrected . in this embodiment , the temperature sensor 10 a is disposed on the bed 1 near a scale to measure a temperature of the scale , the temperature sensor 10 b is disposed on the table 4 to measure a temperature of the table , and the temperature sensor 10 c is disposed on the workpiece 5 to measure a temperature of the workpiece . hereinafter , correction of the thermal displacement in the x - axis direction at the coordinate data of the fixed position of the workpiece shown in fig1 using the temperature of the workpiece , table , and bed shown in fig5 will be explained . in fig1 , the x - coordinates of the positive end position of cutting stroke xlp , the x - coordinates of the negative end position of cutting stroke xlm , and the x - coordinates of the fixed position of the workpiece xw are as follows . the first embodiment will be explained based on the flowchart shown in fig6 . at s 1 , a temperature measuring device 11 converts the analog signals into numerically expressed digital signals representing the temperatures of each sensor 10 a - 10 c with a predetermined interval ( 10 seconds ) by a well - known method . in a parameter storage device 13 , the x - coordinates of the fixed position of the workpiece xw , the coefficient of linear thermal expansion α , and the standard temperature are preset . at s 2 , the x - coordinates of a current cutting edge position is detected by an nc unit 14 . at s 3 , using a correction amount computing unit 12 , the amount of displacement of the scale δa 1 , the amount of displacement of the table δb , and an amount of displacement of the workpiece δa 2 are computed a using equations 5 , 6 , and 7 , respectively . here , as a computing method for obtaining a temperature for estimating the thermal displacement shown in the first term on the right - hand side of equation 5 , there is provided an exponential smoothing filter as shown in the japanese published unexamined patent application no . 9 - 225781 filed by the present applicant . accordingly , equation 5 can be expressed as follows . x 7n = y 7n ·( x − xs )· k 7 [ equation 5a ] y 7n = y 7n − 1 +( t 70n − y 7n − 1 )· α 7 k : a coefficient of linear thermal expansion ( k 7 = 11 × 10 − 6 ) x 8n = y 8n ·( xs − xw )· k 8 [ equation 6a ] y 8n = y 8n − 1 +( t 80n − y 8n − 1 )· α 8 x 2n = y 2n ·( xw − x )· k 2 [ equation 7a ] y 2n = y 2 − 1 +( t 20n − y 2n − 1 )· α 2 α : a coefficient of a filter ( α 8 = 3 . 2 × 10 − 2 , α 2 = 8 . 3 × 10 − 3 ) k : a coefficient of linear thermal expansion ( k 8 = 11 × 10 − 6 , k 2 = 11 × 10 − 6 ) then , from equations 1 and 4 , the amount of correction at the x - coordinates xc is computed . at s 4 , the nc unit carries out correction of the thermal displacement , moving by the amount of correction xc in the axis direction . at s 5 , it returns to s 1 when correction is continued , or the process is finished when the correction is discontinued . another embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on a flowchart of fig7 . at s 11 , the temperature measuring device 11 converts the analog signals into numerically expressed digital signals representing the temperatures of each sensor 10 a - 10 c with a predetermined interval ( 10 seconds ) by a well - known method . in the parameter storage device , the x - coordinates of the positive end position of the cutting stroke xlp , the x - coordinates of the negative end position of the cutting stroke xlm , the x - coordinates of the fixed position of the workpiece xw , and a standard temperature are preset . at s 12 , with the correction amount computing unit 12 , a correction amount xcp at the coordinate data of the positive end position of the cutting stroke is computed based on an amount of displacement of the scale δa 2 ( from equation 9 ), an amount of displacement of the table δb ( from equation 6 ), an amount of displacement the workpiece δc 2 ( from equation 12 ) using equations 1 and 8 . x 9n = y 9n ·( xlp − xs )· k 9 [ equation 9b ] x 8n = y 8n ·( xs − xw )· k 8 [ equation 6b ] x 5n = y 5n ·( xw − xlp )· k 8 [ equation 12b ] y 9n = y 9n − 1 +( t 90n − y 9n − 1 )· α 9 y 8n = y 8n − 1 +( t 80n − y 8n − 1 )· α 8 y 5n = y 5n − 1 +( t 50n − y 5n − 1 )· α 5 α : a coefficient of a filter ( α 9 = 3 . 2 × 10 − 2 , α 8 = 3 . 2 × 10 − 2 , α 5 = 8 . 3 × 10 − 3 ) k : a coefficient of linear thermal expansion ( k 9 = 11 = 10 − 6 , k 8 = 11 × 10 − 6 , k 5 = 11 × 10 − 6 ) similarly , a correction amount at the coordinate data of the negative end position of the cutting stroke xcm is computed based on the amount of displacement of the scale δa 3 ( from equation 11 ), the amount of displacement of the table δb ( from equation 6 ), and the amount of displacement the workpiece δc 3 ( from equation 13 ) using equations 1 and 10 . x 10n = y 10n ·( xlm − xs )· k 10 [ equation 11c ] x 8n = y 8n ·( xs − xw )· k 8 [ equation 6c ] x 6n = y 6n ·( xw − xlm )· k 6 [ equation 13c ] y 10n = y 10n − 1 +( t 100n − y 10n − 1 )· α 10 y 8n = y 8n − 1 +( t 80n − y 8n − 1 )· α 8 y 6n = y 6n − 1 +( t 60n − y 6n − 1 )· α 6 α : a coefficient of a filter ( α 9 = 3 . 2 × 10 − 2 , α 8 = 3 . 2 × 10 − 2 , α 5 = 8 . 3 × 10 − 3 ) k : a coefficient of linear thermal expansion ( k 9 = 11 × 10 − 6 , k 8 = 11 ×× 10 − 6 , k 5 = 11 × 10 − 6 ) at s 13 , the computed correction amounts are transmitted to a servo system . in this servo system , the correction amounts at both ends of the cutting stroke are processed with a linear interpolation method and correction is carried out in accordance with the coordinate data of the cutting edge position using a well - known two - point correction method . at s 14 , it returns to s 11 when correction is continued , or the process is finished when the correction is discontinued . fig8 shows a result of thermal displacement correction in the x - axis direction at each machining position of fig9 a - 9d using the methods of the first and second aspects of the present invention . this result shows that the thermal displacement is controlled irrespective of the cutting edge position and the fixed position of the workpiece . although in this figure the thermal displacement in the x - axis direction is explained , the thermal displacement in the y - axis direction can be corrected by using the temperature of the cross rail instead of the temperature of the bed . likewise , the thermal displacement in the z - axis direction can be corrected by using the temperature of the column instead of the bed , and the temperature of the main spindle instead of the table . moreover , it is required that workpiece information , such as the coordinate data of the fixed position of the workpiece , the coefficient of linear thermal expansion of the workpiece , and the standard temperature ( that requires dimensional accuracy of the workpiece ) are set for each workpiece to be machined . for this reason , by providing a setting screen as shown in fig4 to set the information with an operation panel , the setting operation becomes easy . further , by setting the workpiece information using nc program , the workpiece information can be set in an unattended machining process of the workpiece , for example , with an automatic pallet changer . | 6 |
the present invention includes the discovery that high doses of chromium , administered in the form of chromic picolinate , about an order of magnitude higher than the u . s . rda , combined with high doses of biotin , promote significant reduction in blood glucose levels and stabilize blood glucose levels in individuals with type ii diabetes . this reduction is markedly greater than what would be expected when either component is administered alone , thus indicating a synergistic effect . the synthesis of chromic picolinates is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 . 087 , 623 , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference . chromic tripicolinate and biotin are commercially available from health food stores , drug stores and other commercial sources . in order to reduce the requirement for insulin and / or diabetic drugs and to reduce several important risk factors associated with type ii diabetes , it is anticipated that the dosage range of chromium administered to a patient in the form of chromic tripicolinate will be between about 1 , 000 and 10 , 000 μg / day . in a preferred embodiment , this amount is between about 1 , 000 and 5 , 000 μg / day . with regard to the biotin component of the combination therapy , the preferred daily dosage is between about 1 mg and 200 mg . more preferably , the daily dosage of biotin is between about 5 mg and 50 mg . for oral administration , the chromic picolinates and biotin may be provided as a tablet , aqueous or oil suspension , dispersible powder or granule , emulsion , hard or soft capsule , syrup or elixir . compositions intended for oral use may be prepared according to any method known in the art for the manufacture of pharmaceutically acceptable compositions and such compositions may contain one or more of the following agents : sweeteners , flavoring agents , coloring agents and preservatives . the sweetening and flavoring agents will increase the palatability of the preparation . tablets containing chromic tripicolinate in admixture with non - toxic pharmaceutically acceptable excipients suitable for tablet manufacture are acceptable . pharmaceutically acceptable means that the agent should be acceptable in the sense of being compatible with the other ingredients of the formulation ( as well as non - injurious to the patient ). such excipients include inert diluents such as calcium carbonate , sodium carbonate , lactose , calcium phosphate or sodium phosphate ; granulating and disintegrating agents , such as corn starch or alginic acid ; binding agents such as starch , gelatin or acacia ; and lubricating agents such as magnesium stearate , stearic acid or talc . tablets may be uncoated or may be coated by known techniques to delay disintegration and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and thereby provide a sustained action over a longer period of time . for example , a time delay material such as glyceryl monostearate or glyceryl distearate alone or with a wax may be employed . formulations for oral use may also be presented as hard gelatin capsules wherein the active ingredient is mixed with an inert solid diluent , for example calcium carbonate , calcium phosphate or kaolin , or as soft gelatin capsules wherein the active ingredient is mixed with water or an oil medium , such as peanut oil , liquid paraffin or olive oil . aqueous suspensions may contain the chromic tripicolinate complex of the invention in admixture with excipients suitable for the manufacture of aqueous suspensions . such excipients include suspending agents , dispersing or wetting agents , one or more preservatives , one or more coloring agents , one or more flavoring agents and one or more sweetening agents such as sucrose or saccharin . oil suspensions may be formulated by suspending the active ingredient in a vegetable oil , such as arachis oil , olive oil , sesame oil or coconut oil , or in a mineral oil such as liquid paraffin . the oil suspension may contain a thickening agent , such as beeswax , hard paraffin or cetyl alcohol . sweetening agents , such as those set forth above , and flavoring agents may be added to provide a palatable oral preparation . these compositions may be preserved by an added antioxidant such as ascorbic acid . dispersible powders and granules of the invention suitable for preparation of an aqueous suspension by the addition of water provide the active ingredient in admixture with a dispersing or wetting agent , a suspending agent , and one or more preservatives . additional excipients , for example sweetening , flavoring and coloring agents , may also be present . syrups and elixirs may be formulated with sweetening agents , such as glycerol , sorbitol or sucrose . such formulations may also contain a demulcent , a preservative , a flavoring or a coloring agent . the chromic tripicolinate preparations for parenteral administration may be in the form of a sterile injectable preparation , such as a sterile injectable aqueous or oleaginous suspension . this suspension may be formulated according to methods well known in the art using suitable dispersing or wetting agents and suspending agents . the sterile injectable preparation may also be a sterile injectable solution or suspension in a non - toxic parenterally - acceptable diluent or solvent , such as a solution in 1 , 3 - butanediol . suitable diluents include , for example , water , ringer &# 39 ; s solution and isotonic sodium chloride solution . in addition , sterile fixed oils may be employed conventionally as a solvent or suspending medium . for this purpose , any bland fixed oil may be employed including synthetic mono or diglycerides . in addition , fatty acids such as oleic acid may likewise be used in the preparation of injectable preparations . the pharmaceutical compositions may also be in the form of oil - in - water emulsions . the oily phase may be a vegetable oil , such as olive oil or arachis oil , a mineral oil such as liquid paraffin , or a mixture thereof . suitable emulsifying agents include naturally - occurring gums such as gum acacia and gum tragacanth , naturally occurring phosphatides , such as soybean lecithin , esters or partial esters derived from fatty acids and hexitol anhydrides , such as sorbitan mono - oleate , and condensation products of these partial esters with ethylene oxide , such as polyoxyethylene sorbitan mono - oleate . the emulsions may also contain sweetening and flavoring agents . the amount of chromic tripicolinate / biotin that may be combined with the carrier material to produce a single dosage form will vary depending upon the host treated and the particular mode of administration . the above description of the invention is set forth solely to assist in understanding the invention . it is to be understood that variations of the invention , including all equivalents now known or later developed , are to be considered as falling within the scope of the invention , which is limited only by the following claims . | 0 |
one aspect of the present invention provides a method for determining the existence and the amount of soluble fibrin contained in an opaque specimen fluid . in accordance with embodiments of the present invention , the method comprises the steps of : ( a ) mixing a portion of the opaque specimen fluid in a transparent container with a sufficient amount of precipitating reagent under a condition that causes the soluble fibrin to precipitate ; ( b ) aggregating and concentrating the soluble fibrin precipitates in a region of the container for rendering the precipitates optically detectable in the opaque specimen fluid ; ( d ) recording the time when the precipitates are first become optically detectable in the opaque specimen fluid , wherein the time elapsed from the addition of the precipitating reagent to the detection of the aggregated precipitates is an inverse measure of the quantity of soluble fibrin present in the opaque specimen fluid . for purposes of the present invention , the opaque specimen fluid can be any body fluids that contain soluble fibrin . the inventions are , however , particularly applicable to opaque body fluids such as whole blood , bloody effusions , bloody cerebrospinal fluid and the like . preferably the specimen fluid is whole blood . in one embodiment of the present invention , whole blood is diluted . the whole blood can be diluted by a diluent such as saline solution . a precipitating reagent is any reagent which can cause soluble fibrin to precipitate out of the soluble fibrin - containing specimen fluid . examples of a precipitating reagent include , but are not limited to , protamine sulfate , polybrene , and the like . preferably , the precipitate reagent is protamine sulfate . the amount of a precipitating reagent is sufficient if it can cause substantially all of the soluble fibrin contained in a specimen fluid to precipitate out of the fluid . one skilled in the art can readily determine the amount of the precipitating reagent that should be used without undue experimentation in view of the instant disclosure . a portion of the opaque specimen fluid is mixed with a precipitating reagent under a condition that causes the soluble fibrin to precipitate . in one embodiment of the present invention , the mixing may take place at a ph of about 5 . 9 or below , and at a temperature of about 37 ° c . according to embodiments of the present invention , the soluble fibrin precipitates contained in a transparent container may be aggregated and concentrated to a limited region of the container by placing the transparent container to an apparatus of the present invention . the apparatus used in the present invention must have the characteristics of producing in the reaction mixture hydraulic flow patterns so that the apparatus will aggregate and concentrate the sf precipitates in a highly localized portion of the reaction mixture so as to render them visible in an opaque medium such as diluted whole blood . in one embodiment of the present invention , an optical blood homeostatic analysis apparatus as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 184 , 188 , the relevant content of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference . in general , an optical blood hemostatic analysis apparatus is capable of both rotating and rocking a transparent , approximately cylindrical specimen container ( for example , a 12 × 75 mm glass test tube ) while maintaining the container in a nearly horizontal position and at a temperature of approximately 37 ° c . specimen fluid and a precipitate reagent are introduced into the open end of the container , and are then mixed and incubated by the apparatus . as described in the &# 39 ; 188 patent , one embodiment of the mechanical apparatus of the invention is illustrated in fig1 a and 1 b , which show a specimen container 1 containing specimen fluid 2 , which is supported in a nearly horizontal position on a pair of rotating rollers 3 . fig1 c is an end - view of the apparatus shown in fig1 a and 1 b . the rollers 3 may be rotated by any convenient means , such as an electrical motor coupled to the rollers either directly or through a drive train ( e . g ., a belt , gears , or a friction drive ). in the preferred embodiment , the specimen container 1 is rocked longitudinally around an approximate mid - point pivot p through an angle of preferably about ± 3 °, as shown by comparing fig1 a with fig1 b . the rotational rate of the specimen container 1 is typically about 12 rpm , and the rocking rate is typically about 15 cycles per minute . the rocking motion may be imparted by a cam or any other convenient means . the specific rocking and rotation rates are not necessarily critical , but the particular values described above have been found to be effective . the specimen fluid 2 does not run out of the open end of a small - diameter specimen container 1 when tilted forward because of the strong surface tension of the contained fluid , aided by the small radius of curvature of the rim of the container 1 . during the rotating and rocking , the precipitating reagent causes the soluble fibrin contained in the diluted whole blood to precipitate out of solution . as the precipitation reaction is occurring , the rocking and rotating motion moves the not - yet - visible fibrin monomer ( sf ) clumps to a region where all of the sf in the entire sample will accumulate . as they reach this preferred region the clumps interact with sf material already there making the location even more attractive for sf accumulations that are still too small to be detected optically . if the amount of sf is sufficiently large , the sf precipitates will adhere to the inner tube surface and be lifted clear of the reaction mixture . the time the precipitates first become optically detectable is defined as the first end - point . the time the precipitates stick to the tube and rotate with the tube is defined as the second end - point . the time that it takes from the start of the process to the first end - point , and to the second - end point will be measured . the time measurements can be correlated to the quantity of sf by a standard curve respectively . the sf standard curve is produced by adding known quantities of sf to native whole blood and analyzing the resulting mixtures . for the purpose of determining the quantity of sf in a specimen fluid , one may use either of the time measurements or both to determine the quantity of sf with a standard curve . the time that it takes from the start of the process to the second - end point is easier to measure . however , when the level of sf is low , the first end - point may be the only one available since the precipitates may not be concentrated enough to reach the second end - point . in this case , it is preferred to use the time measurement of the first end - point to determine the quantity of sf . any comparable means of accomplishing this goal is within the scope of this invention , including simple rotation or agitation of a sealed container , or use of a container having a liquid retention rim at its opening . since the process works best at 37 ° c ., it is desirable to maintain the specimen at that temperature . the temperature of the specimen fluid can be maintained , for example , by a tungsten filament light bulb 4 situated near the specimen container 1 and controlled by a thermostatic circuit 5 having a temperature sensor 6 adjacent to or in contact with the specimen container 1 . alternatively , the temperatures can be maintained by placing the specimen container 1 in an incubated chamber having the desired temperature . the time that it takes from the start of the process to the end - points can be measured by a variety of means that detect the end - points . a number of different types of end - point detectors can be used in the invention . examples of types of end - point detectors include , but are not limited to , direct visual observation ; a flying spot scanner ; a charge couple device ( ccd ) camera , a detector consisting of a narrow beam of light ( e . g ., from a small , solid state laser ) that is caused to sweep ( e . g ., by means of an oscillating mirror ) the inner wall of the transparent specimen container from a position just outside the open end of the container ; and a detector that uses a light beam and a time - delay discriminator circuit which distinguishes the presence of soluble fibrin precipitates from the rocking surface of the blood itself . the above detectors are fully described in the &# 39 ; 188 patent , the content of which is incorporated herein by reference . it is to be understood that the optical blood hemostatic analysis apparatus described above has been chosen only for the purpose of describing a particular embodiment and function of the invention . other types of optical apparatus may also be used as long as the apparatus can perform the same function as the one described above . suitable apparatus would be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure . in one embodiment of the present invention , the measurement steps are repeated with a second precipitating reagent . in accordance with this embodiment , the measurement method further includes the steps of mixing another portion of the opaque specimen fluid with a second precipitating reagent and repeating steps ( a ) to ( d ) described above to obtain a second timing measurement for elapsed time . then the first timing measurement and the second timing measurement are related to respective standard curves prepared with respective first and second precipitating reagents . the quantity of soluble fibrin present in the opaque specimen sample is determined by an average of the two measurements . for the purpose of the present invention , the first and the second precipitating reagents may be the same reagents at different concentrations or may be two different reagents . it should be understood that portions of an opaque specimen fluid may be mixed respectively with two or more different concentrations of a precipitating reagent to obtain two or more measurements , and the quantity of sf contained in the specimen fluid may be determined by averaging the measurements . alternatively , portions of an opaque specimen fluid may be mixed with two or more different types of precipitating reagents to achieve the same results . a method of determining soluble fibrin with the present invention is used to measure the amount of sf in a whole blood sample treated with thrombin to determine the kinetics of the reaction . 2 ml of whole blood was mixed with 0 . 01 nih units of thrombin at time zero and 150 μl aliquots were removed at the times noted . each aliquot was suspended in about 450 μl of saline solution at ph 5 . 0 and was placed in a specimen container together with about 20 μl of the precipitating reagent , protamine sulfate . the time of the appearance of precipitates was measured and recorded in sf units . the results is summarized in table i . table i time after thrombin sf time soluble visible addition ( min ) ( sec ) fibrin units fibrin 0 250 2 . 8 no 1 12 . 5 56 . 0 no 2 10 . 2 68 . 6 no 3 9 . 8 71 . 4 no 4 9 . 9 70 . 7 no 5 11 . 2 62 . 5 no 8 13 . 5 51 . 9 yes 10 14 . 4 48 . 6 yes 19 14 . 7 47 . 6 yes 31 17 . 0 41 . 2 yes 70 19 . 4 36 . 1 yes 112 20 . 2 35 . 0 yes 189 21 . 2 33 . 0 yes [ 0049 ] fig2 is a plot of the kinetics of the production of sf in whole blood . at the point marked by the arrow thrombin is added to the reaction mixture . the present invention is utilized to perform analysis at intervals of 1 - 30 minutes . over an initial period of 3 - 4 minutes after the addition of a small quantity of thrombin , the sf concentration titer rises . the early sf molecules produced can be carried by the fibrinogen and kept from polymerizing as a visible fibrin clot . following a peak concentration reached at approximately three minutes , the sf present in excess of the carrying capacity of the fibrinogen precipitates out of the mixture in the form of a visible fibrin clot and over the next 30 minutes the level of sf decreases by about 50 %. over the ensuing hours , the sf level declines slightly but is essentially stable for periods in excess of 2 hours . as noted in fig2 the kinetics of the reaction require a test that can be completed within minutes , hence require that the test be performed in whole blood . in a second test of the system , a series of 150 μl whole blood samples were , at thirty minute intervals , removed from a patient undergoing liver transplantation . these samples were suspended in about 450 μl saline , and were placed in a specimen container together with about 20 μl of the precipitating reagent , protamine sulfate . the whole blood sample was taken from a patient at the start of the operation , then every 30 minutes with samples spaced more closely during the critical reperfusion phase of the transplantation process . the mixture of protamine sulfate and whole blood was placed in a hemostatic analysis apparatus as described in the &# 39 ; 188 patent at a temperature of about 37 ° c . to allow the mixture to react until precipitates formed and adhered to the inner tube surface . the time that it took from the start of the process to the first - end point , and the second end - point were then measured , and the measurements were correlated to the quantity of sf by a standard curve . other portions of the same samples were centrifuged to recover plasma and refrigerated until the next day so that additional assays for fibrin degradation products ( fdps ), d - dimer levels and fibrinogen levels could be performed . these four assays are plotted in fig3 a and 3 b to show the congruence of the results . [ 0053 ] fig3 a is a series of fibrinogen measurements performed on samples from a patient undergoing liver transplantation . fig3 b shows three other assays performed on the same patient : measurements of d - dimer , fibrin degradation products ( fdps ) and soluble fibrin ( sf ) in relation to the time of liver replacement . only the sf tests were performed during the actual surgery . the remaining tests were performed on the following day since all of the remaining tests required the preparation of plasma from the whole blood samples and the patient &# 39 ; s condition was changing so rapidly that the values were not useful to the operating surgeon . the close correlation of the various measures on all four test methods indicates that the information provide by the sf assay within minutes of the time the sample was drawn is useful for managing a very unstable patient . correlation coefficients are summarized in table ii . table ii confirms the visual impression that all four assays are highly correlated — that as fibrinogen disappears from the patient &# 39 ; s circulation sf and the various measures of fibrinogen / fibrin breakdown ( fdp , d - dimer ) begin to appear . table ii correlation coefficients ( r ) 0 . 9026 sfu vs fdp dilution 0 . 8558 sfu vs d - dimer dilution − 0 . 8572 sfu vs fibrinogen the foregoing is meant to illustrate , but not to limit , the scope of the invention . indeed , those of ordinary skill in the art can readily envision and produce further embodiments , based on the teachings herein , without undue experimentation . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its essential characteristics . the described embodiment is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not as restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes which come within the meaning and range of the equivalence of the claims are to be embraced within their scope . | 6 |
referring to the illustrations , drawings , and pictures , reference character 10 generally designates a new and improved puller device , assembly , system and method of using same constructed in accordance with the present invention . invention 10 is generally used in oil and gas well operations but may be utilized in other applications . the current invention should not be considered limited to just seat , valve seat , pump liners , and so forth removal . now referring to the illustration and more in particular to fig1 , invention 10 may include spring catch 20 , bottom nose 30 , puller shaft 40 , and sleeve 50 generally positioned axially as depicted in the illustrations as will be discussed further below . again referring to the drawings in general and more specifically to fig2 , invention 10 may generally be utilized with a pump assembly 60 . a portion of the invention 10 is generally depicted being inserted into opening 70 of a pump or pump head 80 for engaging stuck valve seat 90 . valve seat 90 comprises an outer diameter or ring 100 having a lower rim or bottom face 110 and an inner diameter or ring 120 . the inner diameter 120 has an aperture 130 . valve seat 90 may also include a top face or portion 140 having an angled surface 150 . spring catch 20 may be generally cylindrical and made from a metal alloy that allows for flexing and or bending , durable for the force required and also rigid enough to return to its original shape after flexing or bending . a preferred construction may be made from american iron and steel institute , also known as aisi , 8620 alloy steel that is a hardenable chromium , molybdenum , nickel low alloy steel often used for carburizing to develop a case - hardened part . spring catch 20 is generally formed of j - shaped hooks 160 that allow for flexing and or bending . a preferred embodiment is of a one piece construction having twelve ( 12 ) j - shaped hooks 160 although more or less j - shaped hooks 160 may be utilized . the spacing between the j - shaped hooks 160 generally allows for the circumference to be made smaller when the j - shaped hooks 160 are compressed such as but not limited to bending into a smaller circumference 165 . the spring quality of the design allows for the j - shaped hooks 160 to return to the original spacing when not compressed such as but not limited to going back to the original circumference 175 . puller shaft 40 may generally be threaded and utilized to hold spring catch 20 and sleeve 50 . it may be rotated for the desired lifting and lowered from above by hydraulic means , mechanical means , and combinations thereof . invention 10 contemplates utilization with a hydraulic jack puller shaft 40 may be made of steel known in the industry and have threading known in the industry . puller shaft 40 may generally comprise a top or top portion 170 that may attach to a nut 180 for holding puller shaft 40 in a relatively fixed position in opening 70 of pump head 80 while allowing the puller shaft 40 to move up and down as desired . the movement may be accomplished through hydraulic , mechanical and combinations thereof as known in the art . bottom or bottom portion 190 of puller shaft 40 may generally be utilized to removably hold bottom nose 30 . bottom nose 30 may be made from steel and or other materials known in the art . bottom nose 30 may generally be removably threaded onto and axially aligned with puller shaft 40 bottom portion 190 . it is understood that numerous types of removable connections to puller shaft 40 are contemplated . sleeve 50 may also be constructed from steel and other materials known in the art . it is contemplated that sleeve 50 is generally fixed axially on puller shaft 40 and generally holds spring catch 20 and allows spring catch 20 to move up and down , relative to puller shaft 40 , while being trapped at the top of spring catch 20 inside sleeve 50 . generally this configuration provides a “ floating ” spring catch 20 inside sleeve 50 . it is also contemplated that invention 10 may not utilize sleeve 50 , sleeve 50 may be incorporated into spring catch 20 , sleeve 50 may be generally non - movably fixed to spring catch 20 , combinations thereof , and so forth . sleeve 50 may generally look like a cup and or cap fixed and or removably fixed on puller shaft 40 with threads , welds , and so forth . now again refereeing to the illustrations and more in particular to fig3 through fig9 , generally , the puller shaft 40 is inserted in through the valve seat 90 from the top of the pump head 80 by inserting the puller shaft 40 bottom nose 30 down hole or opening 70 until bottom nose 30 passes valve seat 90 and sleeve 50 contacts top of valve seat 90 bringing puller shaft 40 essentially to a stop . sleeve 50 may also generally function as a general guide for passing spring catch 20 through the pump assembly 60 as well as an indicator when the puller shaft 40 has descended far enough into the pump assembly 60 to engage valve seat 90 . it is then contemplated that a hollow shaft hydraulic jack 200 is put onto the puller shaft 40 and secured by nut 180 . at this point , the valve seat 90 is pulled by the hydraulic jack 200 upward . it is contemplated that invention 10 will allow for a generally vertical removal of valve seat 90 without the need for a rotational force as the prior art devices . it is also contemplated that puller shaft 40 may not be threaded . it is still further contemplated that top or top portion 170 of puller shaft 40 may be formed and or adapted to attach and or communicate with a hydraulic jack 200 as known in the prior art . the improved design of invention 10 generally pushes steel spring catch 20 through valve seat 90 and then springs back once passing the bottom face 110 of valve seat 90 . j - shaped hooks 160 are essentially forced into bending into a smaller circumference 165 as the downward force on spring catch 20 contacts with the angle of surface 150 of valve seat 90 . after the j - shaped hooks 160 clear the bottom face 110 of valve seat 90 , they are allowed to spring back and or unbend to the original circumference 175 thus allowing the j - shaped hooks 160 to engage the lower rim 110 of valve seat 90 for pulling upward and out . the bottom nose 30 of invention 10 is pulled up inside of the spring catch 20 , causing the spring catch 20 to be held rigid and not allowing it to close . thus creating a near solid ring of steel at bottom 190 of the puller shaft 40 just below bottom face 110 of valve seat 90 . the yield strength of this ring may be greater than that of the hydraulic jacks 200 currently being used to pull valve seats 90 . once the seat is removed from the pump , the bottom nose 30 of the invention 10 may then be removed by simply loosening it from the puller shaft 40 by hand . steel spring catch 20 is then slid off of puller shaft 40 , and then valve seat 90 may be slid off . steel spring catch 20 may then be placed back on puller shaft 40 and bottom nose 30 may then be threaded back until it stops turning . current invention 10 generally requires no tools to be assembled or disassembled . spring catch 20 may generally be a one piece hollow cylindrical construction having a top 210 , a bottom 220 , a length 230 , and wall 240 . top 210 is generally a solid ring whereas wall 240 has split ( s ) and or slit ( s ) 250 for forming protrusion ( s ) and or segment ( s ) 260 along wall 240 . it is contemplated that spring catch 20 may be hollow and have an aperture and or opening through length 230 with an open ended top 210 and bottom 220 . it is also understood that top 210 may not be open and have a solid portion not depicted . a j - shaped hook or hooks 160 is generally formed from segments 260 wherein the distal end ( s ) 270 has a j - shaped end ( s ). it is also understood that distal end ( s ) 270 may look more like an l - shape and the term j - shaped should not be considered to limit the invention to such . generally top 210 is formed not to flex and or compress but remain essentially rigid . slits ( s ) 250 allow segment ( s ) 260 to change the circumference of bottom 220 from un - flexed and or non compressed spring catch 20 of original circumference 175 to a flexed and or compressed smaller circumference 165 . generally , compression and or flexion occur when segment ( s ) 260 bend inward . it is contemplated top 210 does not bend nor bottom 220 . distal end ( s ) 270 are contemplated to also stay generally rigid . it is further contemplated bottom nose 30 may include a recessed lip portion 280 wherein after engagement of valve seat 90 by spring catch 20 , distal end ( s ) 270 of j - shaped hook or hooks 160 are generally trapped against bottom nose 30 after spring catch 20 slides into position for extraction . it is contemplated that this may generally add structural support to bottom 220 of spring catch 20 as well as keep spring catch 20 in original circumference 175 during the removal process . changes may be made in the combinations , operations , and arrangements of the various parts and elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . furthermore , names , titles , headings and general division of the aforementioned are provided for convenience and should , therefore , not be considered limiting . | 1 |
there is shown in fig1 a terminal applicator 10 having a frame 12 , a reciprocating ram 14 , and a terminal feed mechanism 16 . the frame 12 includes first and second upright plates 18 and 20 , respectively , and a base plate 22 which are rigidly attached to each other in an orthogonal arrangement as shown . the frame 12 includes a ramway 24 which guides the ram 14 in its reciprocating movement toward and away from the base plate 22 . a crimping anvil and terminal guide track , not shown , typically mount to the base plate and mating terminal and insulation crimping bars , not shown , mount to the ram 14 . the crimping bars operationally engage the crimping anvil in the usual manner for attaching the terminals to their respective conductors during operation of the applicator . the feed mechanism 16 , as shown in fig3 , 5 , and 6 , includes first , second , and third links 34 , 36 , and 38 , respectively , each of which is pivotally attached to a respective standoff or boss extending from the frame 12 , the three links having the pivot axes 40 , 42 , and 44 , respectively which are mutually parallel . each of the standoffs has a reduced diameter end that extends into and is a slip fit with a hole 49 in its respective link so that the link is free to pivot . a screw 50 with flat washer 51 is threaded into a hole in the standoff 48 to maintain the link in place , as best seen in fig1 . a feed end point adjusting mechanism 46 is pivotally attached to an end of the third link 38 opposite the pivot axis 44 , as best seen in fig3 and 4 , and will be described below . the first and second links 34 and 36 each have gear teeth 52 and 54 , respectively , extending outwardly into mutual meshing engagement so that when the first link is pivoted in a first rotational direction counterclockwise the second link is made to pivot in a second opposite rotational direction clockwise . as best seen in fig5 the first link 34 includes a stud 56 extending from an end thereof and secured in place by means of a nut tightly threaded onto a threaded end 60 of the stud . another end 62 of the stud has a follower roller 64 journaled for rotation thereon . as shown in fig1 and 3 , a cam bar 72 having a cam surface 74 is attached to and carried by the ram 14 . the follower 64 is in following engagement with the cam surface 74 so that as the ram 14 moves toward the base plate 22 , the cam surface 74 causes the follower 64 to move toward the left , as viewed in fig3 thereby causing the first link to pivot counterclockwise about the axis 40 and the second link 36 to pivot clockwise about the axis 42 . a return compression spring 68 is arranged between the frame 12 and the second link 36 to return the first and second links to their original positions when the ram and cam bar 72 are retracted . the second link 36 includes a projection 70 that extends into one end of the spring 68 and a similar projection extends from the frame into the other end of the spring to hold the spring in position . as best seen in fig3 and 5 , the second link includes a first elongated opening 80 and the third link includes a second elongated opening 82 . a slide member 84 includes a projection 86 that is a sliding fit with the second elongated opening 82 and is held captive to the third link by means of a screw 88 that extends through a washer 90 and into a threaded hole formed in the projection 86 . a knurled cap 94 is attached to the screw 88 by means of an opening in the cap that is a light press fit with the head of the screw . the knurled cap aids in easy manual adjustment of the screw , the purpose of which will be explained below . a diameter 96 extends outwardly from the slide member opposite the projection 86 and includes a groove 98 near its end . a follower roller 100 is journaled for rotation on the diameter 96 and held in place by means of a retaining ring 102 in the groove 98 . the follower roller 100 is sized to be closely received within the elongated opening 80 . a series of deep serrations 104 are formed along an edge of the third link 38 , as shown in fig3 and 5 . the slide member 84 includes an ear 106 extending outwardly therefrom and closely adjacent the edge of the third link having the serrations 104 . the ear 106 includes a threaded through hole 108 into which a relatively long thumb screw 110 is threaded . the thumb screw 110 extends through a hole 112 in a flange 114 that projects from the side of the third link 38 and is held in position by means of a retaining ring 116 in a groove 118 in the thumb screw , the head of the screw and the retaining ring straddling the flange 114 . an indica mark 119 is formed on a side of the ear 106 adjacent the serrations 104 as a visual aid for adjusting the position of the slide member 84 when changing the length of feed stroke , as will be described below . the feed end point adjusting mechanism 46 is pivotally attached to the end of the third link 38 by means of a screw 120 , lock washer 122 , and bushing 124 . the bushing is a slip fit with a hole 126 formed through the end of the third link . the screw 120 extends through the lock washer and bushing , the hole 126 , and into a threaded hole formed in a block 128 of the mechanism 46 . a torsion spring 132 is disposed about the screw 120 within a cavity 134 formed in the block 128 . one end of the torsion spring is latched against an edge of the cavity 134 and the other end of the spring is latched against the third link 38 so that the feed end point adjusting mechanism 46 is urged to pivot clockwise , as viewed in fig3 . as shown in fig6 the feed end point adjusting mechanism 46 includes the block 128 and a slide 136 having two parallel arms 138 and 140 in sliding engagement with two grooves 142 and 144 formed in opposite sides of the block 128 . the slide 136 has an upwardly formed tab 146 having a hole 148 formed therein , the axis of the hole being parallel with the arms 138 and 140 . an elongated hole 150 is formed through an end of the slide 136 with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the arms 138 and 140 . a relatively long thumb screw 152 having a reduced diameter end 154 and a retaining ring groove 156 extends through and in threaded engagement with a threaded hole 158 formed through the block 128 . the reduced diameter 154 extends through a thrust washer 162 and the hole 148 , and is held captive by means of a retaining ring 160 in the groove 156 . a knurled cap 164 is attached to the screw 152 by means of an opening in the cap that is a light press fit with the head of the screw . the knurled cap aids in easy manual adjustment of the screw when positioning the end feed point . by rotating the thumb screw 152 the slide 136 is made to slide within the grooves 142 and 144 to a desired position . a thumb screw 166 is threaded into a threaded hole formed in the block 128 and intersecting the groove 142 . the thumb screw 166 is used to tighten against the arm 138 when securing the slide 136 in position . a knurled cap 168 is attached to the screw 166 by means of an opening in the cap that is a light press fit with the head of the screw . a terminal feed finger 170 is attached to a support block 172 by means of two screws 174 that extend through clearance holes 176 in the feed finger and into threaded holes 178 in the support block . the support block 172 is secured to the slide 136 by means of a screw 180 that extends through a flat washer 182 , the elongated hole 150 , and into threaded engagement with the hole 184 . the lateral position of the feed finger 170 can be easily adjusted by loosing the screw 180 , moving the support block to the desired position , and then again tightening the screw 180 . as stated above the action of the torsion spring 132 causes the feed end point adjusting mechanism 46 to pivot clockwise , as viewed in fig3 . this keeps the feed finger 170 in feeding engagement with the strip of terminals in the terminal guide track . the first , second , and third links 34 , 36 , and 38 , respectively , and the slide 136 are stamped from sheet material thereby minimizing the cost of manufacturing the feed mechanism with respect to prior art feed mechanisms having cast and machined parts . the operation of the feed mechanism 16 will now be described with reference to fig3 , 8 , and 9 . the slide member 84 is shown in its full up position as viewed in fig3 and 7 . this yields the longest feed stroke . in fig7 a terminal guide track is indicated by the phantom line 194 and has a strip of terminals thereon , indicated by the phantom lines 196 and 198 , respectively . the starting position of the feed finger 170 , as shown in fig3 is shown in phantom lines 200 , in fig7 with the finger against a terminal 198 . as the ram 14 moves toward the base plate 22 the cam surface 74 causes the follower 64 to move left thereby pivoting the first link 34 counterclockwise . this causes the second and third links 36 and 38 to pivot clockwise and counterclockwise , respectively , thereby moving the feed finger 170 along a feed path 204 to the position shown in solid lines in fig7 . the thumb screw 152 is adjusted to position the terminal 198 directly in line with the crimping tooling , not shown , and the thumb screw 166 is then tightened against the slide 136 locking it in place . when it is desired to shorten the feed stroke the thumb screw 88 is loosened and the thumb screw 110 is adjusted to cause the slide member 84 to move downwardly , as viewed in fig7 a desired amount or to a maximum down position , as shown in fig8 which provides the shortest feed stroke . as the projection 86 of the slide member 84 moves downwardly within the second elongated opening the slide member moves toward the second pivot axis 42 and away from the third pivot axis 44 . the starting position of the feed finger 170 , as shown in fig8 is shown in phantom lines 202 in fig9 with the finger against a terminal 198 . as the ram 14 moves toward the base plate 22 the cam surface 74 causes the follower 64 to move left thereby pivoting the first link 34 counterclockwise . this causes the second and third links 36 and 38 to pivot clockwise and counterclockwise , respectively , thereby moving the feed finger 170 to the position shown in solid lines in fig9 . the thumb screw 166 is loosened and the thumb screw 152 is then adjusted to position the terminal 198 directly in line with the crimping tooling , not shown , and the thumb screw 166 is then tightened against the slide 136 locking it in place . when it is desired to lengthen the feed stroke the thumb screw 88 is loosened and the thumb screw 110 is adjusted to cause the slide member 84 to move upwardly , as viewed in fig8 a desired amount or to a maximum up position , as shown in fig3 which provides the longest feed stroke . as the projection 86 of the slide member 84 moves upwardly within the second elongated opening the slide member moves toward the third pivot axis 42 and away from the second pivot axis 44 . any desired length of feed stroke between that shown in fig7 and 9 can be achieved in this manner . the feed mechanism 16 has been illustrated and described in side feed configuration , as shown in fig1 . however , the component parts of the feed mechanism 16 can easily be rearranged on the frame 12 in end feed configuration , as shown in fig2 . in this case , the identical parts are used including the first , second , and third links 34 , 36 , and 38 , respectively and the feed end point adjusting mechanism 46 . the only differences being that the three links are pivotally attached to the three standoffs or bosses 186 that extend from the upright plate 20 , and the cain bar 72 is mounted on a different side of the ram 14 . in all other respects the two configurations are identical in structure . the operation of the feed mechanism when in the end feed configuration is similar to that described above except that the first , second , and third links 34 , 36 , and 38 , respectively , pivot in rotational directions that are opposite to those occurring in the side feed configuration . all other operational characteristics are identical in both configurations . an important advantage of the present invention is that the components of the feed mechanism are reconfigurable between side feed and end feed thereby reducing the quantity of different parts that must be manufactured and inventoried . additionally , this conversion of the applicator from one configuration to the other can be accomplished in the field by the end user . another important advantage is that the major operating components are manufactured by stamping and forming thereby significantly reducing manufacturing costs . further , the adjusting mechanisms for the feed stroke length and for the feed end point are independent resulting in a simple easily performed adjustment procedure . | 7 |
the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown . as those skilled in the art would realize , the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways , all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive . like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification . fig1 shows a flowchart of a manufacturing method of a flow passage network ( hereinafter referred to as “ a manufacturing method ” for convenience ) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , and fig2 shows a schematic diagram of bifurcated branches applied to a flow passage network manufactured according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 and 2 , an exemplary embodiment shows a method of optimizing geometric factors upon which a first branch 21 and a second branch 22 are bifurcated from a mother vessel 10 , and exemplarily shows the individual lengths l 0 , l 1 , and l 2 , diameters d 0 , d 1 , and d 2 , and bifurcation angles θ 1 , θ 2 , and θ 1 + 2 of the mother vessel 10 , the first branch 21 , and the second branch 22 , in order to minimize flow loss occurring in a flow passage 2 . as shown in fig2 , the flow passage 2 may be configured in a single bifurcation form in which the first branch 21 and the second branch 22 are bifurcated from the mother vessel 10 , or may be configured in forms of flow passage networks 4 and 6 ( see fig4 and 5 ) by combining single bifurcations if necessary . therefore , the manufacturing method according to the present exemplary embodiment is not limited to determining geometric factors in the flow passage 2 of a single bifurcation , but also includes determining geometric factors in the flow passage networks 4 and 6 . referring to fig2 , the length l 0 is set between one end of the mother vessel 10 and a bifurcated point b , the length l 1 is set between the bifurcated point b and an end of the first branch 21 , and the length l 2 is set between the bifurcated point b and an end of the second branch 22 . the diameters d 0 , d 1 , and d 2 are set in the mother vessel 10 , the first branch 21 , and the second branch 22 , respectively . the bifurcation angle θ 1 is set between an extended center line of the mother vessel 10 and the first branch 21 , the bifurcation angle θ 2 is set between an extended center line of the mother vessel 10 and the second branch 22 , and the bifurcation angle θ 1 + 2 is set between the first branch 21 and the second branch 22 . the manufacturing method according to the present exemplary embodiment has been developed on the basis of observation of microcirculation systems of human bodies and hydrodynamic theoretical formulae . fig3 shows a schematic diagram of fluid flow inside a circular tube . referring to fig3 , when flow in a circular tube 8 has a laminar flow characteristic , the hagen - poiseuille flow , a pressure drop δp , and wall - face shearing stress t w are the same as in equation 1 , and a flow rate q (= inflow rate q in = outflow rate q out ) is the same as in equation 2 . here , d is the diameter of the circular tube 8 , l is the length of the circular tube 8 , and μ is a viscosity coefficient of a fluid . meanwhile , according to murray &# 39 ; s law derived by a minimum work principle , in order to minimize flow energy loss of a fluid flowing from the mother vessel 10 to the first branch 21 and the second branch 22 ( see fig2 ), the relationship as in equation 3 should be established . further , in order to minimize the flow energy loss , the relationships as in equations 4 to 6 between optimal bifurcation angles θ 1 , θ 2 , and θ 1 + 2 and the diameters d 0 , d 1 , and d 2 of the mother vessel 10 and the first and second branches 21 and 22 are established . since a is the radius of the passage , the relationship of d = 2α is established . that is , the relationships of α 0 = d 0 / 2 , α 1 = d 1 / 2 , and α 2 = d 2 / 2 are established . it is possible to optimize the flow passage 2 composed of the single bifurcation of the mother vessel 10 and the first and second branches 21 and 22 through the relational equations between the geometric factors , that is , equations 3 to 6 , and it is possible to optimize the entire flow passage networks 4 and 6 composed of a combination of such optimized signal bifurcations . in general , murray &# 39 ; s law relates to a minimizing energy required for fluid flow . it is known that the mother vessel 10 and the first and second branches 21 and 22 manufactured on the basis of murray &# 39 ; s law minimize flow disturbances at the bifurcated point b ( see fig2 ). particularly , an exponent 3 seen in murray &# 39 ; s law has a low loss coefficient with respect to diameter ratio of almost all branches . the manufacturing method of the flow passage 2 according to an exemplary embodiment may be implemented as a manufacturing process shown in fig1 . the manufacturing method of an exemplary embodiment includes a first step st 10 , a second step st 20 , a third step st 30 , a fourth step st 40 , a fifth step st 50 , and a sixth step st 60 . the first step st 10 sets the diameter d 0 of the mother vessel 10 to 1 , and sets the bifurcation angel θ 1 of the first branch 21 to a predetermined value that is a known design specification value . the second step st 20 calculates the diameter d 1 of the first branch 21 by substituting the diameter d 0 of the mother vessel 10 and the bifurcation angle θ 1 of the first branch 21 set in the first step st 10 into equation 4 . the third step st 30 calculates the diameter d 2 of the second branch 22 by substituting the diameter d 0 of the mother vessel 10 and the diameter d 1 of the first branch 21 calculated in the second step st 20 into equation 3 . the fourth step st 40 calculates the bifurcation angle θ 2 of the second branch 22 by substituting the diameter d 0 of the mother vessel 10 and the diameter d 2 of the second branch 22 calculated in the third step st 30 into equation 5 . the fifth step st 50 checks whether all the geometric factors d 0 , d 1 , d 2 , θ 1 , θ 2 , and θ 1 + 2 having been calculated in the first , second , third , and fourth steps st 10 , st 20 , st 30 , and st 40 have correct values by using equation 6 . the sixth step st 60 determines whether a next bifurcated stage is in the first or second branch 21 or 22 . when the first or second branch 21 or 22 is bifurcated , the process returns to the first step st 10 to calculate geometric factors of the next branches . when the first and second branches 21 and 22 are not bifurcated , the process finishes . when the first or second branch 21 or 22 is bifurcated , the first or second branch 21 or 22 becomes a mother vessel and the next branches become first and second branches . it is possible to manufacture the mother vessel 10 and the first and second branches 21 and 22 with desired design specification values through the first to sixth steps st 10 to st 60 , and it is possible to optimize the entire flow passage networks 4 and 6 composed of a combination of bifurcated branches by performing calculations with respect to the next branches ( not shown ) bifurcated from the first or second branch 21 or 22 by repeating the same process . the manufacturing method according to the exemplary embodiment exemplifies a method of calculating the other geometric factors d 1 , d 2 , θ 2 , and θ 1 + 2 from the diameter d 0 of the mother vessel 10 and the bifurcation angle θ 1 of the first branch 21 . further , even though not shown , it is possible to calculate the other geometric factors d 2 , θ 1 , θ 2 , and θ 1 + 2 from the diameter d 0 of the mother vessel 10 and the diameter d 1 of the first branch 21 , and it is possible to calculate the other geometric factors d 1 , θ 1 , θ 2 , and θ 1 + 2 from the diameter d 0 of the mother vessel 10 and the diameter d 2 of the second branch 22 . in order to verify equations 3 to 6 and obtain information of the geometric factors actually used during manufacturing of the flow passage 2 , the results in table 1 ( measured values of geometric factors of circulation systems ) were obtained by performing measurement with respect to circulation systems of living bodies . in table 1 , the ratio d 2 / d 1 of the diameters d 1 and d 2 of the first and second branches 21 and 22 is 1 . 001 , which means that almost all branches existing in a circulation system of a living body have the symmetric bifurcation ( d 1 = d 2 ) pattern . if a calculation is performed by substituting d 1 = d 2 into equations 3 to 6 on the basis of the measured results , it can be seen that the measured values shown in table 1 are very similar to the theoretical values ( d 1 / d 0 = d 2 / d 0 = 2 − 1 / 3 ≈ 0 . 794 , γ = 2 1 / 3 ≈ 1 . 260 , θ 1 = θ 2 = 37 . 5 °) of the geometric factors of the symmetric branch system . the manufacturing method of the first to sixth steps st 10 to st 60 is effective as manufacturing guidelines of each of the first and second branches 21 and 22 . however , in order to manufacture the configuration of the entire flow passage network 4 or 6 , manufacture conditions of the diameters d 1 and d 2 and lengths l 1 and l 2 of the first and second branches 21 and 22 are additionally required . therefore , the manufacturing method of an exemplary embodiment may further include a seventh step st 70 . the seventh step st 70 optimizes the global flow resistance of the flow passage network 4 that is sequentially bifurcated . fig4 shows a schematic diagram of a flow passage network composed of a combination of bifurcated branches . referring to fig4 , additional manufacturing conditions of the flow passage network 4 are derived through optimization of the global flow resistance of the flow passage network 4 that is sequentially bifurcated as shown in fig4 . the global flow resistance p total the flow passage network 4 shown in of fig4 is the same as in equation 7 . here , v and { dot over ( m )} represent the kinematic viscosity coefficient and a mass flow rate , respectively , and i represents a bifurcation generation number . a resistance factor which is an important geometric factor having a great effect on the global flow resistance p total can be considered as l / d 4 represented by a ratio of a length l and a diameter d . a manufacturing condition of the length l and the diameter d which are geometric factors constituting the resistance factor is obtained as follows . first , in a case of symmetric bifurcation ( d 1 = d 2 ), murray &# 39 ; s law of equation 3 is the same as in equation 8 . a volume v i of a branch in each bifurcation generation of fig4 is expressed as equation 9 . if a condition in which volumes of branches in each bifurcation generation i are the same ( v i is constant ) is applied to equation 9 , the manufacturing condition of the diameter d and length l of a branch is determined . ( d i + 1 d i ) 2 = 2 - 2 3 ( l i + 1 l i ) = 2 - 1 3 is satisfied . that is , a reduction ratio of the diameter d and the length l is the same as in equation 10 . as the generation number increases in the flow passage network 4 , it is possible to minimize loss caused by the flow resistance , if the length l and the diameter d are reduced at a ratio of 2 − 1 / 3 , that is , by about 20 . 63 %. fig5 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a flow passage network using the manufacturing method of fig1 . referring to fig5 , a flow passage network 6 manufactured by applying the manufacturing method of an exemplary embodiment is illustrated . since the flow passage network 6 that is optimally manufactured optimizes individual branches and the entire flow passage 6 through equations 1 to 10 , it is possible to minimize flow loss . further , even though the description has been made in an exemplary embodiment by exemplifying the flow passage network in which the mother vessel and the branches are formed to have a circular cross - section , the exemplary embodiment can be applied in the same way to a flow passage network configured to have a rectangular cross - section . while this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments , but , on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 5 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , an embodiment of tissue pattern paper is shown . in the respective figs ., tissue pattern paper 1 comprises a sheet made of tissue paper material measuring 20 by 36 inches ( fig1 ) and 51 by 91 centimeters ( fig2 ), on which there are a series of straight lines ruled 1 / 4 inch ( fig1 ) and 1 / 2 centimeter ( fig2 ) apart , vertically 2 and horizontally 3 . every line that equals a measurement of 1 inch ( fig1 ) and 1 centimeter ( fig2 ), vertically 4 and horizontally 5 , has a heavier marking than the rest of the lines so as to stand out from the rest of the lines to facilitate measuring . beginning at the first heavier marked line , vertically 6 and horizontally 7 , and each heavier marked line thereafter , the lines are , starting with number 1 , numbered consecutively on the border of the four sides of the tissue pattern paper . because the body measurements of most commercial tissue paper patterns sold today are in proportion , but the bodies of most people buying the patterns are not , alterations ranging from minor to major are required on the patterns before they can be used in making good fitting garments for the people using them . commercial tissue paper patterns give very few body measurements , and those that are given , are for use in selecting a pattern size closest to one &# 39 ; s body measurements . for example : a size 14 pattern would normally show a waist size of 28 inches ( 71 cm ) and a hip size of 38 inches ( 97 cm ). but these waist and hip sizes are of little use in altering a pattern because how much of the 28 inches ( 71 cm ) and 38 inches ( 97 cm ) are for the front of the waist and hips and how much for the back are not known and must be known before comparison can be made with a person &# 39 ; s corresponding body parts . the front half of a person &# 39 ; s waist / hips , like the front half of so many other parts of the body , seldom , if ever , measure the same as the corresponding back half . the first step , therefore , in altering one of the above patterns is to measure the various parts of the pattern so that comparison can be made to the corresponding body parts . for instance , a dress pattern where the top ( bodice ) and skirt join at the waist would require the taking of many measurements if a good fitting garment were later to be made from it . the measurements required would be as follows : ( 1 ) the various parts of the front top ( bodice ) pattern piece would have to be measured ( the neck , shoulder length , bust , waist , shoulder to waist , center front , plus other measurements depending on the design of the pattern ), ( 2 ) the various parts of back top ( bodice ) pattern piece , and ( 3 ) the various parts of the front skirt pattern piece and ( 4 ) the various parts of the back skirt pattern piece . if the various parts were measured with a measuring tape , a ruler , a measuring device in combination with another measuring device , or some other current means of measuring , the process would be time consuming for , by and large , each part would have to be measured separately . one advantage of tissue pattern paper is that it greatly reduces the time it takes to measure a pattern piece for the user of the pattern piece has simply to place the pattern piece on top of an accommodating sized sheet of tissue pattern paper and practically any measurement needed can be seen almost at a glance . measuring the various parts of the pattern pieces of the above dress pattern with tissue pattern paper would take far less time than it would if the same measurements were taken with the current measuring means available to the public . tissue pattern paper not only saves time when measuring , but when doing the actual alteration / s as well . for example : the pattern manufacturer states on the pattern the length of &# 34 ; finished back from waist &# 34 ; of the above skirt is 271 / 2 inches ( 69 . 85 cm ). the pattern user in measuring the back skirt pattern piece with tissue pattern paper noted the bottom edge of the skirt rested on the 291 / 2 inch ( 74 . 93 cm ) line of the tissue pattern paper . thus the skirt had a hem of 2 inches ( 5 . 08 cm ). the user decides to lengthen the skirt 11 / 2 inches ( 3 . 81 cm ). the advantage of doing this alteration with tissue pattern paper rather than without it is as follows : ( 1 ) cut the front ( later the back ) skirt pattern piece in two where the pattern manufacturer designates the pattern piece should be cut for lengthening or shortening ( 2 ) move the bottom edge of the skirt pattern piece from the 291 / 2 inch ( 74 . 93 cm ) line on the tissue pattern paper to the 31 inch ( 78 . 74 cm ) line or the user could insert a scrap strip of tissue pattern paper containing 6 of the 1 / 4 inch ( 6 . 3 cm ) units ( for a total of 11 / 2 inches or 74 . 93 cm ) between the two cut edges ( 3 ) tape the 11 / 2 inch ( 3 . 81 cm ) strip of tissue pattern paper now between the two cut sections to the sections ( 1 ) do step 1 above ( 2 ) tape a strip of plain tissue paper to one of the edges of the two cut sections ( 3 ) with a measuring tape , ruler , or some other measuring device , measure 11 / 2 inches ( 3 . 81 cm ) out from one cut edge and mark measurement ( mark in two places for accuracy ) on the plain tissue paper ( 5 ) tape the 11 / 2 inch ( 3 . 81 cm ) strip of plain tissue paper now between the two cut sections to the sections by using tissue pattern paper , two steps in the process of lengthening a skirt have been eliminated while at the same time insuring greater accuracy of measurement than if done without tissue pattern paper because the user could , for example , have measured 11 / 2 inches ( 3 . 81 cm ) for one mark and 11 / 4 inches ( 3 . 18 cm ) for the other mark , an easy mistake , which when realized would take time to correct . besides lengthening the skirt , the user needs to enlarge the front skirt pattern piece to allow for her protruding stomach and thus insure that the skirt side seams hang straight rather than swing to the front as often happens when there is a stomach protrusion . comparison of the user &# 39 ; s body measurements to the pattern measurements show the stomach area of the skirt pattern piece needs to be enlarged 3 / 4 inch ( 1 . 90 cm ) where the stomach protrudes the most , that being 31 / 4 inches ( 8 . 25 cm ) down from the waist at center front . the steps involved in doing this alteration with and without tissue pattern paper are as follows : using the lines and measurements on the tissue pattern paper , the user would : ( 1 ) cut the front skirt pattern piece horizontally along the 31 / 4 inch ( 8 . 25 cm ) line of the tissue pattern paper from center front to , but not through , the side seam ( 2 ) spread the cut 3 / 4 inch ( 1 . 9 cm ) on tissue pattern paper at center front thereby leaving the spread to taper out to nothing at the side seam since the user &# 39 ; s body measurement and the pattern piece measurement are the same at that point since pattern manufacturers don &# 39 ; t designate a line on a skirt pattern piece for stomach alterations , the user would have to : ( 1 ) measure down 31 / 4 inches ( 8 . 25 cm ) from waist at center front and at the side seam , and mark measurements ( 3 ) cut along the drawn line from center front to , but not through , the side seam ( 4 ) tape plain tissue paper along the edge of one of the cuts ( 5 ) at center front measure from cut 3 / 4 inch ( 1 . 9 cm ) on plain tissue paper and mark ( 6 ) at center front place the other cut edge on the mark the advantage of using tissue pattern paper over not using it for the above alterations is obvious in that tissue pattern paper comprised ( 1 ) the measurements , ( 2 ) the lines for alignment , and ( 3 ) the tissue material needed to lengthen / enlarge the pattern pieces . as a result , the alterations could be done ( 1 ) faster , ( 2 ) easier , and ( 3 ) with a greater assurance of accuracy as a whole , with the use of tissue pattern paper . whether it &# 39 ; s enlarging a pattern piece as above , or reducing a pattern piece , it is advantageous to use tissue pattern paper because tissue pattern paper comprises the means to do an enlargement or reduction of a pattern piece faster , easier , and with a greater assurance of accuracy than if done without it . for the most part , doing alterations with the use of tissue pattern paper involves cutting pattern pieces where normally they would be cut for certain alterations , then moving the pattern pieces up or down , in or out , on an accommodating sized sheet of tissue pattern paper until the pieces are placed at the desired measurement . but the advantage of using tissue pattern paper is not limited to the altering of all or part of a tissue paper pattern . another advantage is it enables the user to change the design of parts of the pattern without changing the original pattern . for example : if a user has a good fitting dress pattern with a round neck and straight skirt and wants to use the pattern to make an after - five dress with a vee neck and a full skirt , the user can do so easily with tissue pattern paper . for the neck , the user would simply place a sheet of tissue pattern paper on top ( not under as in the case for alterations ) of the front top ( bodice ) dress pattern piece so that a line on the tissue pattern paper lines up with the center front line on the pattern piece . using the center front line on the pattern piece , pinpoint on the tissue pattern paper the desired depth of the vee . using the shoulder and neck lines on the pattern piece , pinpoint on the tissue pattern paper , the desired width of the vee . connect the pinpoints . starting at width of vee on shoulder , trace along shoulder about 11 / 2 ( 3 . 81 cm ) to 2 inches ( 5 . 08 cm ). at depth of vee on center front , trace down about 11 / 2 ( 3 . 81 cm ) to 2 inches ( 5 . 08 cm ). draw a diagonal line connecting end of lines . tissue pattern paper will now show a portion of the front top ( bodice ) pattern piece with a vee neck . this &# 34 ; alternate &# 34 ; vee neck pattern piece when cut out of the tissue pattern paper , will later be lined up with the appropriate lines on the pattern piece when the latter is used to make the dress . the round neck and surrounding area on the original pattern piece will simply be folded back to make room for the alternate vee shaped neck pattern piece . as for the full skirt , two or more sheets of tissue pattern paper would be taped together and lined up on top of the front skirt pattern piece . marks designating desired fullness of the skirt would be marked on the tissue pattern paper and lines drawn connecting the marks . the waist line would be traced from the skirt pattern piece on to the tissue pattern paper thereby making a new alternate front skirt pattern piece with a full skirt . the steps would be repeated for the alternate back skirt pattern piece . to make the above alternate neck and skirt pattern pieces with the use of plain tissue paper and the current measuring devices and means for making such alternate pattern pieces , would take more time , be more difficult , and wouldn &# 39 ; t have the assurance of overall accuracy that it would otherwise have with the use of tissue pattern paper . another advantage of tissue pattern paper is those people who don &# 39 ; t like to cut on the original pattern to make alterations or changes of any kind don &# 39 ; t have to . some people like to use a pattern more than once , particularly if it is an expensive pattern , so don &# 39 ; t like to cut the original pattern in any way , especially if major alterations are needed to be made on it . one example of this is when a person &# 39 ; s measurements fluctuate because of weight gain or loss . because the original pattern is made of tissue paper , it is not likely to hold up if too many alterations have to be made on it each time it is used . therefore , those pieces of the pattern where the major alterations would be needed can be transferred on to the tissue pattern paper . the transferred pieces then act as the original pieces and the alterations are made on them with the use of other sheet / s of tissue pattern paper . another advantage of tissue pattern paper is that a person can , with the use of tissue pattern paper , make a pattern from imagination , a picture , a piece of clothing , or whatever else the idea for a pattern comes from . for example : if a woman saw a picture of a blouse she liked and wanted to make , she could pinpoint her front body measurements on an accommodating sized sheet of tissue pattern paper , allowing for ease , drape or other design allowance , plus seam allowance . she could then connect the pinpoints while at the same time drawing the pattern piece . likewise , she could do the same for the back pattern piece . another advantage of tissue pattern paper is that it can accommodate the user &# 39 ; s needs in terms of big or small . because of its units of measurement and lines , two or more sheets of tissue pattern paper can be easily joined together without affecting the accuracy or function of the tissue pattern paper in any way . likewise , a sheet of tissue pattern paper can be decreased to the smallest of sizes without accuracy or function being affected . another advantage of tissue pattern paper is that there is little or no waste with it . any unused portion , big or small , of a sheet of tissue pattern paper , because of the units of measurements and lines , can be used for a variety of alterations , as well as for making a variety of patterns and pattern pieces , including small pattern / pattern pieces such as doll clothing pattern / pattern pieces . another advantage of tissue pattern paper is that its use is not limited to the field of apparel , be that male or female , children or adult apparel . the field of crafts is but one of many other fields where the use of tissue pattern paper would be advantageous . still another advantage of tissue pattern paper is that it is a general - purpose device , that being it is designed or adaptable for more than one use . example : a man wants an alteration person to change his ready - made flared - legged trousers to straight - legged . with the use of tissue pattern paper , the alteration person could line a leg seam up on the tissue pattern paper and immediately know how much flare would have to be removed to make the trousers straight - legged . because tissue pattern paper is a general - purpose device , all of its uses and advantages are too numerous to mention . but aside from its many uses and advantages , tissue pattern paper has an advantage in that it is simple to use , easy to store and inexpensive to buy . | 0 |
as illustrated in fig1 the press comprises a base structure or frame 50 which is provided with a ram 9 and a fixed table 52 . support bearings 12 , in which guide shafts 11 are able to move in the direction of the y - axis , are mounted on the fixed table 52 . two adjacent guide shafts 11 are fixedly connected to two cross - bars 10 which extend in the direction of the x - axis . the front cross - bar 10 forms the fixed section of the x - carriage 40 and moves the latter with it in the y - direction in the event of displacement of the guide shafts 11 through the support bearings 12 . the carriage 40 can move in the direction of the x - axis on the cross - bar 10 , inter - alia , by means of the handles 13 which allow manual actuation . a similar carriage 54 is arranged on the rear cross - bar 10 , and the pcb 2 is attached between the rear carriage 54 and the front carriage 40 , it being possible to move this pcb in the direction of the x - axis by means of the carriage 40 and in the direction of the y - axis by means of the guide shafts 11 . as shown more clearly in fig2 the pcb 2 is , at various locations , provided with series of holes 5 which correspond to the selected insertion zone into which the attachment pins 7 ( of the press - fit type ) of a connector 1 have to be inserted . for this purpose , the ram 9 of the press is provided with an insertion die 4 , and the fixed table 52 is provided with an anvil 3 . the central point of this insertion die 4 and of the anvil 3 both lie in the same vertical insertion centre line “ c ”. since the contact pins 7 of the connector 1 project out of the bottom of the pcb 2 during insertion , the anvil 3 is provided at regular intervals with grooves 6 , in order to create space for the projecting sections of the contact pins 7 . if the connector 1 also contains contact pins 7 which project on the top side , the insertion die 4 is likewise provided with grooves 8 at regular intervals . consequently , it is clear that the projecting sections of the contact pins 7 , together with the connector housing 1 , have to be accurately aligned , on the one hand with respect to the grooves 6 in the fixed anvil 3 , and on the other hand with respect to the grooves 8 in the insertion die 4 , and this alignment must be correct both in the direction of the x - axis and in the direction of the y - axis . an exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig3 . as already described with reference to fig1 the guide shafts 11 are supported and guided by the support bearings 12 , which are fixedly connected to the frame 50 of the press . on their front side , the guide shafts 11 are connected to a front cross - bar 10 . a carriage 40 can be moved in the direction of the x - axis on this cross - bar 10 by means of the handles 13 . the pcb 2 is supported and guided by means of the front cross - bar 10 and the rear cross - bar 54 and is positioned in the x - direction by means of a fixed ( reference point ) stop 14 and a moveable stop 15 , which are attached to the carriage 40 and which clamp the pcb 2 in place . the pcb 2 , together with the connector 1 which is to be inserted , can consequently be moved in a horizontal plane , in the direction of the x - axis , from left to right by means of the carriage 40 , and in the direction of the y - axis by pulling forwards or pushing backwards the assembly comprising carriage 40 , cross - bars 10 - 54 and guide shafts 11 with respect to the fixed support bearings 12 of the frame 50 . one can imagine that such manual positioning of the pcb 2 with connector 1 with respect to the anvil 3 and the insertion die 4 is not a simple operation and cannot be carried out with sufficient accuracy . in order to remedy this problem , the front cross - bar 10 is provided with a linear encoder 17 in order to be able to detect the exact position of the pcb 2 and the insertion zone of the connector 1 in the direction of the x - axis . an identical linear encoder 18 is arranged along one of the guide shafts 11 , in order to be able to detect the exact position of the pcb 2 and the insertion zone of the connector 1 in the direction of the y - axis . the encoder 17 of the x - axis is electrically connected to the input of an x - control unit 16 a , which sends a signal to a screen 19 in order to numerically display the position of the x - carriage 40 . the output of the x - control unit 16 a is connected to a correction motor 27 , which is connected to a guide base 35 and a threaded spindle 26 , on which a correction carriage 25 can move in the direction of the x - axis . the motor 27 and the base 35 are fixed to the x - carriage 40 . the correction carriage 25 is provided with a brake system 24 , which can be moved in the x - direction by the carriage . if the brake is activated , the x - carriage 40 is moved along by the guide base 35 of the correction carriage 25 . according to the invention , the brake system 24 is automatically activated from the moment at which the pcb 2 which is connected to the carriage 40 is displaced manually until the time at which the x - coordinate whose data have been stored in advance in the x - control unit 16 a comes to lie within a limited distance from the centre line c of the insertion die 4 and the anvil 3 . to carry out a correction in the positioning in the direction of the y - axis , the encoder 18 is electrically connected to the input of a y - control unit 16 b , which sends a signal to the screen 19 in order to display the position of the guide shafts 11 in the direction of the y - axis , for example numerically . the output of the y - control unit 16 b is connected to a correction motor 23 , which is connected to a guide base 31 and a threaded spindle 22 on which a correction carriage 21 can move in the direction of the y - axis . the correction motor 23 and the guide base 31 are fixed on the frame 50 of the press . the correction carriage 21 is provided with a brake system 20 , which can be moved in the y - direction by the carriage . if the brake is activated , the guide shaft 11 is moved along by the correction carriage 21 . in this case , the brake system 20 is likewise activated from the moment at which the pcb 2 is moved manually to the time when the y - coordinate whose data has been stored in advance in the y - control unit comes to lie within a tracking zone , the area of which extends over a limited distance with respect to the centre line c of the impression die 4 and the anvil 3 of the press . to align an insertion zone of the connector 1 in the pcb 2 with respect to the centre line c of the anvil 3 and the insertion die 4 , it is assumed that the operator has to define a reference position in the x - direction and in the y - direction . all the coordinates of the insertion zones of the pcb 2 are defined in relation to this reference position . by means of the encoder 17 on the x - axis , the x - control unit 16 a can be adjusted or adapted to the actual position of the carriage 40 on the x - axis . by means of the encoder 18 on the y - axis , the y - control unit 16 b can be adjusted or adapted to the actual position of the guide shafts 11 and the carriage 40 on the y - axis . since the pcb 2 is fixedly connected to the carriage 40 , any position of the pcb 2 will be displayed on the screen 19 using the x and y coordinates . a programmable function can be used to set the control units 16 a and 16 b using a series of x - y coordinates . according to any x - y coordinate , the holes 5 in the insertion zones of the pcb 2 must correspond to the grooves 6 in the anvil 3 , and consequently also to the grooves 8 in the insertion die 4 , since anvil 3 and die 4 are fixedly connected to the frame 50 of the press and lie in the same vertical centre line c . while the positioning program is running , the control units 16 a and 16 b , with the aid of the encoders 17 and 18 , will establish the direction in which the carriage 40 will have to be moved . this may , for example , be achieved by means of arrows which , on the screen 19 , indicate the direction in which the carriage 40 , together with the pcb 2 and the connector 1 , has to be moved . if the carriage 40 is moved in such a way that it comes to lie at a limited , predetermined distance close to the programmed y - coordinate or centre line c , the y - control unit 16 b will activate the break system 20 . on the other hand , if the carriage 40 comes to lie at a defined distance close to the programmed x - coordinate or centre line c , the x - control unit 16 a will activate the brake system 24 . at that moment , the carriage 40 is blocked in both directions , and the screen 19 shows that the press can be operated . by means of the encoders 17 and 18 , the control unit , comprising an x - control unit 16 a and a y - control unit 16 b , can detect the actual position of the centre point p of the insertion zone z of the pcb 2 together with the connector 1 . if the actual position in the direction of the x - axis differs from the x - coordinate in the program , the x - control unit 16 a will start the motor 27 . this motor 27 will produce a rotational movement of the threaded spindle 26 , with the result that the correction carriage 25 will be moved to the left or to the right . since the brake system 24 is fixedly connected to the correction carriage 25 , and as the brake system 24 is clamped to the cross - bar 10 of the x - axis , the x - carriage 40 will move to the left or to the right through the rotation of the motor 27 . if the x - control unit 16 a rotates the motor 27 in a direction which is such that the actual x - position coincides with the programmed x - coordinate of the centre line c , the holes 5 in the pcb 2 will coincide in the x - direction with the grooves 6 in the anvil 3 . if the actual position in the direction of the y - axis differs from the programmed y - coordinate , the y - control unit 16 b will start the motor 23 . this motor 23 will rotate the threaded spindle 22 , with the result that the correction carriage 21 will be moved forwards or backwards . since the brake system 20 is fixedly connected to the correction carriage 21 , and as the brake system 20 is likewise clamped to the guide shaft 11 in the direction of the y - axis , the x - carriage 40 will be moved forwards or backwards through the rotation of the motor 23 . the y - control unit 16 b will rotate the motor 23 in such a direction until the actual y - position coincides with the programmed y - coordinate of the centre line c , and then the holes 5 in the pcb 2 in the y - direction will coincide with the grooves 6 in the anvil 3 . before the press is actuated , the x - control unit 16 a and the y - control unit 16 b , by means of the encoders 17 and 18 , will check the actual position of the pcb 2 . by means of the device according to the invention , the pcb 2 can rapidly be moved from one insertion position to the other . as soon as the pcb 2 is approximately within the limited tracking zone of correction carriages 21 and 25 , the brake systems 20 and 24 are activated . the control units 16 a , 16 b and the motors 23 , 27 then automatically assume responsibility for the further fine adjustment of the position of the pcb 2 . a fine adjustment in the direction of the x - and y - axes is also necessary for accurate positioning of the insertion die 4 with respect to the connector housing 1 , if the insertion die , which is generally of rectangular shape , has to penetrate into the connector housing , which is of corresponding design , as illustrated in fig2 . | 8 |
turning to fig1 a simplified block diagram of an electronic device 100 having an adaptive lcd power supply circuit 104 consistent with the invention is illustrated . the electronic device 100 may be a portable or non - portable electronic device utilizing an lcd 108 . portable electronic devices may include laptop computers , cell phones , pagers , personal digital assistants , and the like , while non - portable electronic devices may include televisions , desktop pcs , automotive controls , industrial controls , and the like . the electronic device 100 includes a power source 102 for supplying power to all the components of the device 100 including the lcd 108 driven by the lcd panel circuit 106 . the lcd 108 may be any variety of display , e . g ., an active matrix or passive matrix display , and the lcd panel circuit 106 may be any type of driving circuit known to those skilled in the art . the power source 102 may be any variety of power sources for providing power to the electronic device . for portable electronic devices , the power source 102 may be a stand alone power source such a rechargeable battery , e . g ., lithium , nickel - cadmium , or nickel - metal hydride batteries , or a solar power source . the power source may also be various external adapters such as an ac / dc “ block ” adapter or dc “ cigarette ” type adapter to provide power to the portable electronic device . such adapters may also provide power to recharge batteries for those devices having rechargeable batteries . for non - portable electronic devices the power supply may be an ac / dc converter for converting conventional 120 volt ac power from an outlet to a dc voltage level . advantageously , an electronic device 100 consistent with the invention includes an adaptive lcd power supply circuit 104 coupled to the power source 102 and the lcd panel circuit 106 . in general , the adaptive lcd power supply circuit 104 monitors at least one load parameter from the lcd panel circuit 106 and regulates at least one supply parameter supplied from the power source 102 such that the supply parameter is adjusted to match the load parameter . in one exemplary embodiment , the load parameter may be a load voltage and the supply parameter may be supply voltage . in this way , the adaptive lcd power supply circuit 106 provides adaptive or load following voltage to the lcd panel circuit 106 that follows the instantaneous voltage requirements of the lcd panel circuit 106 as display conditions on the lcd 108 vary . as such , power dissipation is minimized . therefore , the power efficiency of the device 100 is substantially improved . for a portable electronic device having a rechargeable battery for a power source 102 , this enables the device to have prolonged times between recharging of its battery , and / or to have a smaller size battery . turning to fig2 a simplified block diagram of an adaptive lcd power supply circuit 204 consistent with the invention is illustrated . the adaptive lcd power supply circuit 204 includes a feedback path . the feedback path may include the sensor 205 and a conducting path 209 coupling the sensor 205 to the regulating circuit 207 . the feedback path may be configured to sense at least one load parameter of the lcd panel circuit 206 and provide a feedback control signal along the conducting path 209 to the regulating circuit 207 . the regulating circuit 207 may be responsive to the control signal to adjust at least one supply parameter from the power source 202 such that the supply parameter is driven to match the load parameter . the regulating circuit 207 may be a variety of circuits known to those skilled in the art for regulating a predetermined power parameter . for instance , the regulating circuit may be a dc / dc converter where the supply parameter to be adjusted is dc voltage . such a regulating circuit 207 may also include a pulse width modulated ( pwm ) switching transistor circuit functioning as a dc - dc converter . the pwm signal may be generated by a comparator comparing the output signal from a respective error amplifier , e . g ., error amplifier 334 of fig3 with an input ramp signal . the resulting pwm signal may then control a switching circuit to boost , e . g ., with the switching transistor in parallel with the load , or buck , e . g ., with a switching transistor in series with the load , the input dc voltage to the desired output dc voltage level . turning to fig3 a block diagram of one exemplary embodiment of an adaptive lcd power supply circuit 304 is illustrated . in this exemplary embodiment , the sensed load parameter is dc load voltage and the regulated supply parameter is dc supply voltage . a feedback path to the dc / dc converter 303 may include two paths . one path may include a light source such as the light emitting diode ( led ) 318 , a current source 319 , and a switch 313 . this path provides a signal to the minimum decision circuit 320 at the input terminal in 1 . the current source 319 sets the current for the led 318 . the led 318 may function as a backlight for an lcd panel . another path may include a sensor , e . g . transistor q 1 , to provide another signal to the input terminal in 2 of the minimum decision circuit 320 . the first path provides a signal to the minimum decision circuit 320 which is representative of the voltage across the current source 319 when the switch 313 is closed and representative of the voltage output from the dc / dc converter when the switch 313 is open . the other path provides another control signal to the minimum decision circuit 320 representative of the voltage across transistor q 1 . the transistor q 1 may be a variety of transistor types including a p - channel mosfet . an ldo control 332 may be coupled to the gate of the transistor q 1 to control the state of the transistor q 1 and whether or not power is supplied to a load at the output terminal 330 . when power is provided by the power source 302 to a load , e . g ., an lcd panel circuit , at output terminal 330 , the voltage vpass across the source and drain of the transistor q 1 varies in proportion to load changes and voltage requirements . hence , as the instantaneous load requirements of an lcd load panel circuit ( not illustrated ) which may be coupled to the output terminal 330 changes , the voltage level vpass across the source and drain changes proportionately . the voltage level vpass may then be input to a sense amplifier 310 , which amplifies the voltage level relative to ground and may then be input to a second input terminal of the minimum decision circuit 320 . the minimum decision circuit 320 compares the voltage signal from the first path input to input terminal in 1 with the voltage signal from the other path input to its other input terminal in 2 , and provides an output signal equal to the lesser of the two voltage levels to an error amplifier 334 . the error amplifier 334 compares a reference voltage level provided by a reference voltage source 336 to the voltage level output from the minimum decision circuit 320 to provide a control signal to the dc / dc converter 303 . when the output of the minimum decision circuit 320 is equal to the reference voltage signal provided by the reference source 336 then the control signal from the error amplifier 334 instructs no change to be made to the output voltage of the dc / dc converter 303 . if the output of the minimum decision circuit 320 is less than the reference voltage , then the control signal instructs the dc / dc converter 303 to increase its output voltage . conversely , if the output of the minimum decision circuit 320 is greater than the reference voltage , then the control signal instructs the dc / dc converter 303 to decrease its output voltage . in the exemplary embodiment of fig3 the led 318 provides backlight to an lcd . if the led is on and the switch 313 is accordingly closed , an lcd panel circuit coupled to the output terminal 330 may require a lower voltage than the voltage required by the led . as such , the voltage drop across q 1 is relatively large and the output of the dc / dc converter 303 is controlled by the first path to maintain the voltage across the current source 319 equal to the reference voltage provided by the reference voltage source 336 . alternatively , if the led is off and the switch 313 is accordingly open , the output of the dc / dc converter 303 may be controlled by the second path to maintain the voltage drop across the transistor q 1 equal to the reference voltage provided by the reference voltage source 336 . in order to minimize power losses , a minimum voltage drop across transistor q 1 and the current source 319 set by the reference source 336 should be maintained . an adaptive liquid crystal display power supply circuit consistent with the invention keeps one of these two voltage levels equal to the reference voltage level depending on the relative signal levels input at in 1 and in 2 to the minimum decision circuit 320 . for example , assume the reference voltage level provided by the reference source 336 is 0 . 2 volts , the voltage required at output terminal 330 is 3 . 3 volts at a particular instant , and the voltage drop on the led 318 functioning as a backlight to an lcd is 8 . 0 volts . if the led 318 is enabled in this particular example , switch 313 is closed . as such , the voltage at the output of the dc / dc converter 303 needs to be 8 . 2 volts to properly supply the voltage for the backlight and to account for the voltage drop of about 0 . 2 volts across the current source 319 . in this instance , the voltage drop across q 1 is higher at 4 . 9 volts such that the desired voltage of 3 . 3 volts is provided at the output terminal 330 . since the voltage drop across the current source 319 in this instance ( 0 . 2 volts ), is less than the voltage drop across transistor q 1 ( 4 . 9 volts ), the minimum decision circuit will select 0 . 2 volts and the control of the dc / dc converter will be controlled by the first path input to the input terminal ini of the minimum decision circuit 320 . if the led 318 is disabled in this particular example , switch 313 is open . as such , the voltage at the output of the dc / dc converter 303 may be advantageously decreased to 3 . 5 volts compared to a voltage level of 8 . 2 volts that may otherwise be provided at all times . since the voltage drop across the transistor q 1 of about 0 . 2 volts is less than the voltage output from the dc / dc converter 303 of 3 . 5 volts , the minimum decision circuit will select 0 . 2 volts and the control of the dc / dc converter will be controlled by the other path input to the input terminal in 2 of the minimum decision circuit 320 . as such , the dc / dc converter 303 is advantageously responsive to the control signal from the error amplifier 334 to adjust its output dc voltage level to match that of the dc load voltage level . as such , an adaptive lcd power supply circuit 304 consistent with the invention includes a regulating circuit , e . g ., dc / dc converter 303 , that regulates or adjusts its secondary dc voltage to match that of the instantaneous dc load voltage requirements of a load module such as the led 318 serving as a backlight for an lcd or a separate load module such as an lcd panel circuit coupled to the output terminal 330 depending on a comparison made by the minimum decision circuit 320 . the embodiments that have been described herein , however , are but some of the several which utilize this invention and are set forth here by way of illustration but not of limitation . it is obvious that many other embodiments , which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , may be made without departing materially from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
an exemplary embodiment of a display driver of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 shows a display driver according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention . a driver 1 of the present exemplary embodiment provides a display with four grayscale levels according to line - by - line sequential drives . in order to address or achieve this , the driver 1 has a function of applying voltages associated with grayscale levels specified by image data to contact points pa , pb , pc ( the three shown by way of example , and not as a limitation ) by horizontal lines m 1 , m 2 , m 3 , m 4 and vertical lines la , lb , lc . each of the contact points is coupled to a source line of a plurality of tfts included in a display , such as an lcd panel . to perform this function , the driver 1 includes operational amplifiers 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ; logic circuits 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ; switches 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ; switches 51 a , 52 a , 53 a , 54 a , 51 b , 52 b , 53 b , 54 b , 51 c , 52 c , 53 c , 54 c ; a memory circuit 60 ; decoders 70 a , 70 b , 70 c ; switches 80 a , 80 b , 80 c ; a control circuit 90 ; resistors r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 ; switches swa , swb , swc ; and switches swa , swb , sbc as shown in fig1 . the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 output four voltages vp , vq , vr , vs to the horizontal lines m 1 to m 4 . the four voltages are associated with the four grayscale levels specified by divided voltages using the resistors r 1 to r 5 based on a power potential vdd ( 3 v or 5v , for example ) and a ground potential vss . the voltages vp , vq , vr , vs output by the operational amplifiers 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , respectively , satisfy the inequality vp & gt ; vq & gt ; vr & gt ; vs . here , the operational amplifier is referred to as general amplifiers including related art operational amplifiers . provided in between the horizontal lines m 1 to m 4 and the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 , the logic circuits 21 to 24 activate or deactivate the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 under the control of the control circuit 90 . the switches 41 to 44 are provided in between the horizontal lines m 1 to m 4 and the ground potential vss . for example , the switch 41 is provided in between the horizontal line m 1 and the ground potential vss . the switches 51 a to 54 a , 51 b to 54 b , 51 c to 54 c are provided in matrix form in between the vertical lines la , lb , lc and the horizontal lines m 1 , m 2 , m 3 , m 4 . for example , the switch 51 a is provided in between the vertical line la and the horizontal line m 1 . the memory circuit 60 stores a plurality of image data dataa , datab , datac that specify an image to be displayed on the display . the decoders 70 a , 70 b , 70 c output switching control signals sw_cnta , sw_cntb , sw_cntc associated with the plurality of image data dataa , datab , datac stored in the memory circuit 60 to the switches 51 a to 54 c under the control of the control circuit 90 . according to the present exemplary embodiment , the decoders 70 a , 70 b , 70 c and the control circuit 90 cooperate to output ( 1 ) activation control signals ap , lp , se to control activation and deactivation by the logic circuits 21 to 24 to the logic circuits 21 to 24 ; ( 2 ) an open / close control signal bp to control the open / close of the switches 41 to 44 to the switches 41 to 44 ; ( 3 ) an open / close control signal up to control the open / close of the switches swa , swb , swc to the switches swa , swb , swc ; ( 4 ) an open / close control signal dp to control the open / close of the switches swa , swb , swc to the switches swa , swb , swc ; and ( 5 ) an open / close control signal cp to control the open / close of the switches 51 a to 54 a , 51 b to 54 b , 51 c to 54 c to the switches 51 a to 54 a , 51 b to 54 b , 51 c to 54 c . the switches 80 a , 80 b , 80 c are provided in between the contact points pa , pb , pc , which are included in the display , and the vertical lines la , lb , lc . for example , the switch 80 a is provided in between the contact point pa and the vertical line la . the control circuit 90 outputs the above - mentioned control signals ap , lp , se , bp , cp , up , dp , so as to control the whole operation of the driver 1 . the switches swa , swb , swc are provided in between the vertical lines la , lb , lc and the power potential vdd . for example , the switch swa is provided in between the vertical line la and the power potential vdd . the switches swa , swb , swc are provided in between the vertical lines la , lb , lc and the ground potential vss . for example , the switch swa is provided in between the vertical line la and the ground potential vss . fig2 shows the configuration of the logic circuit according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention . the logic circuit 21 operates at both the power voltage vdd and an operational voltage vdd ( 1 . 5 v , for example ) that is lower than the operational voltage vdd of the logic circuit 21 , i . e . the power voltage vdd . the logic circuit 21 detects the power voltage vdd applied to the horizontal line m 1 from the power potential vdd via the switch swa , at least one of the vertical lines la , lb , lc , and at least one of the switches 51 a , 51 b , 51 c . to perform this , the logic circuit 21 includes a level shifter 211 , a flip - flop 212 , an and circuit 213 , a level shifter 214 , and a switch 215 as shown in fig2 . the level shifter 211 , the flip - flop 212 , and the and circuit 213 operate at the voltage vdd , while the level shifter 214 operates at the voltage vdd . the switch 215 establishes or terminates a connection between the horizontal line m 1 and the level shifter 211 according to the activation control signal se from the control circuit 90 . the level shifter 211 lowers the voltage level of the power voltage vdd applied to the horizontal line m 1 . the flip - flop 212 latches a signal l 1 from the level shifter 211 in sync with the activation control signal lp from the control circuit 90 . the and circuit 213 performs the logical and operation between a signal l 2 from the flip - flop 212 and the activation control signal ap from the control circuit 90 to output a signal l 3 . this means that the and circuit 213 outputs the signal l 3 at a timing specified by the activation control signal ap . the level shifter 214 raises the voltage level of the signal l 3 . thus the logic circuit 21 outputs a power control signal ps 1 to activate or deactivate the operational amplifier 11 . the other logic circuits 22 to 24 also have the same configuration and operate in the same manner as the logic circuit 21 , outputting power control signals ps 2 to ps 4 to the operational amplifiers 12 to 14 , respectively . instead of the above - mentioned configuration of the logic circuits 21 to 24 , the logic circuits 21 to 24 are also capable of outputting the control signals ps 1 to ps 4 with the configuration composed of the switch 215 , the flip - flop 212 , and the and circuit 213 when the power voltage vdd and the operational voltage vdd of the logic circuits 21 to 24 are exactly or nearly the same ( for example , both of the voltages vdd and vdd are around 5 v ). fig3 shows the configuration of the memory circuit and the decoders according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention . to facilitate the description referring to fig3 and understanding of the memory circuit and the decoders according to the present exemplary embodiment , here the four grayscale levels are replaced by 64 grayscale levels ( six bits ), the four operational amplifiers 11 to 14 by 64 operational amplifiers op 0 to op 63 , and the four switches 51 a to 54 a by 64 switches swao to swa 63 . as shown in fig3 , the memory circuit 60 stores the image data dataa , datab , datac . for example , the image data dataa are composed of image data d 5 to d 0 ( six bits ) to specify a grayscale level out of the 64 levels and grayscale data gs selected from 2 , 4 , 8 , 16 , 32 , or 64 . both the image data d 5 to d 0 and the grayscale data gs are given an address . for example , the image data d 5 to d 0 of 000110 and the grayscale data gs of 2 are stored in an address a 0 included in the image data dataa . the other image data datab , datac also have the same configuration as the image data dataa . as shown in fig3 , the decoder 70 a outputs switching control signals sca 0 to sca 63 to control turning on and shutting off of the switches swa 0 to swa 63 to the switches swa 0 to swa 63 based on the image data d 5 to d 0 and the grayscale data gs included in the image data dataa stored in the memory circuit 60 . to achieve this , the decoder 70 a includes a converter 71 a to convert the image data d 5 to d 0 and the grayscale data gs into the switching control signals sca 0 to sca 63 , and an address counter 72 a to count the number of addresses included in the image data dataa , as shown in fig3 . the converter 71 a further includes a conversion table 73 a defining the correspondence among the image data d 5 to d 0 , the grayscale data gs , and the operational amplifiers op 0 to op 63 . fig4 shows the configuration of the conversion table according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention . the conversion table 73 a includes the numbers of the operational amplifiers op , the values of the image data d 5 to d 0 , and the values of the grayscale data gs as shown in fig4 . the conversion table 73 a shows that , for example , the image data d 5 to d 0 ranging from 000100 to 000111 with the grayscale data gs of 16 are represented by the marked image data of 000100 corresponding to the operational amplifier op 4 . in other words , the four grayscale levels ranging from 000100 to 000111 are represented by one marked representative grayscale level 000100 corresponding to the operational amplifier op 4 . referring back to fig3 , the address counter 72 a specifies the address a 0 in the image data dataa stored in the memory circuit 60 , making the converter 71 a read out the image data d 5 to d 0 and the grayscale data gs corresponding to the address a 0 ( the image data d 5 to d 0 and the grayscale data gs corresponding to the address a 0 in the image data dataa are hereinafter referred to as image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 0 ) and grayscale data gs ( a_a 0 ), and the same goes for the other image data datab , datac .). with the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 0 ) of 000110 and the grayscale data gs ( a_a 0 ) of 2 , the converter 71 a refers to the column gs = 2 of the conversion table 73 a , and specifies the operational amplifier op 0 that corresponds to the marked representative grayscale level 000000 . the converter 71 a outputs the switching control signals sca 0 to sca 63 ( corresponding to sw_cnta in fig1 ) for making the switch swa 0 for the operational amplifier op 0 turn on and the other switches swa 1 to swa 63 shut off to the switches swa 0 to swa 63 , and thereby connecting the vertical line la ( corresponding to the vertical line la in fig1 ) and a horizontal line hl 0 ( corresponding to any of the horizontal lines m 1 to m 4 in fig1 ), that is , making a connection between the vertical line la and the operational amplifier op 0 . in sync with the output of the switching control signals sca 0 to sca 63 based on the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 0 ) and the grayscale data gs ( a_a 0 ) from the decoder 70 a , the other decoders 70 b , 70 c also output switching control signals scb 0 to scb 63 , scc 0 to scc 63 based on image data d 5 to d 0 ( b_a 0 ), ( c_a 0 ) and grayscale data gs ( b_a 0 ), ( c_a 0 ) to switches swbo to swb 63 , swco to swc 63 ( the switches not shown , corresponding to the switches 51 b to 54 b , 51 c to 54 c in fig1 ), respectively , provided in between the horizontal lines hl 0 to hl 63 and the vertical lines lb , lc in the same manner . for example , the switch swbo is made turn on by the switching control signals scb 0 to scb 63 based on the image data d 5 to d 0 ( b_a 0 ) of 001100 and the grayscale data gs ( b_a 0 ) of 2 , while the switch swc 0 is made turn on by the switching control signals scc 0 to scc 63 based on the image data d 5 to d 0 ( c_a 0 ) of 011011 and the grayscale data gs ( c_a 0 ) of 2 . also , since the grayscale data gs ( a_a 0 ), ( b_a 0 ), ( c_a 0 ) are all 2 , the operational amplifiers op 1 to op 62 other than the operational amplifiers op 0 and op 63 remain deactivated . at the same time , only the operational amplifier op 0 is activated according to the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 0 ), ( b_a 0 ), ( c_a 0 ), while the operational amplifier op 63 remains deactivated . the address counter 72 a specifies an address a 1 in the image data dataa stored in the memory circuit 60 following the address a 0 , making the converter 71 a read out image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ) and grayscale data gs ( a_a 1 ) corresponding to the address a 1 from the memory circuit 60 . with the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ) of 100001 and the grayscale data gs ( a_a 1 ) of 8 , the converter 71 a refers to the conversion table 73 a and specifies the operational amplifier op 36 that corresponds to the marked representative grayscale level 100100 . the converter 71 a outputs the switching signals sca 0 to sca 63 to make the switch swa 36 turn on and the other switches swa 0 to swa 35 and swa 37 to swa 63 shut off to the switches swa 0 to swa 63 , and thereby connecting the vertical line la and the horizontal line hl 36 , that is , making a connection between the vertical line la and the operational amplifier op 36 . in the same manner as mentioned above , in sync with the output of the switching control signals sca 0 to sca 63 based on the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ) and the grayscale data gs ( a_a 1 ) from the decoder 70 a , the other decoders 70 b , 70 c also output the switching control signals scb 0 to scb 63 , scc 0 to scc 63 based on image data d 5 to d 0 ( b_a 1 ), ( c_a 1 ) and grayscale data gs ( b_a 1 ), ( c_a 1 ) to the switches swb 0 to swb 63 , swc 0 to swc 63 , respectively . according to the present exemplary embodiment , for example , when the grayscale data gs ( a_a 0 ), gs ( b_a 0 ), and gs ( c_a 0 ) are all 4 , the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 0 ) is 000000 , d 5 to d 0 ( b_a 0 ) is 000001 , and d 5 to d 0 ( c_a 0 ) is 000010 , the decoders 70 a , 70 b , 70 c do not activate all the three operational amplifiers op 0 , op 1 , op 2 corresponding to the grayscale levels of 000000 , 000001 , 000010 , respectively , but activate only the operational amplifier op 0 corresponding to the grayscale level of 000000 that represents the three grayscale levels . here , the power consumed by an operational amplifier is the total of stationary power ( power consumed irrespective of the size of the load or grayscale level of the operational amplifier ) and load power ( power consumed depending on the size of the load of the operational amplifier ) as widely known . if one operational amplifier takes three grayscale levels , the amount of power it consumes ( a total of one stationary power and three load powers ) is less than the amount of power consumed by three operational amplifiers each taking a grayscale level ( resulting in a total of three stationary powers and three load powers ) as with the case of related art methods . therefore , making the decoders 70 a , 70 b , 70 c activate one operational amplifier op 0 can reduce the power consumed compared to the related art methods in which the three operational amplifiers op 0 , op 1 , op 2 are all activated . fig5 shows the operation of the driver according to the present exemplary embodiment of the invention . the driver 1 drives a plurality of gate lines ( not shown in the drawing ) of a display line by line as shown in fig5 . in other words , a gate line is driven during a horizontal synchronization period ( 1h ) in which a voltage based on a grayscale level specified by the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 0 ), ( b_a 0 ), ( c_a 0 ) etc . via the vertical lines la , lb , lc corresponding to a plurality of source lines is applied to the plurality of source lines . since the driving is performed line by line , the decoders 70 a , 70 b , 70 c operate simultaneously , or more specifically , synchronously as described above . for example , the switching control signals sw_cnta , sw_cntb , sw_cntc specified by the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 0 ), ( b_a 0 ), ( c_a 0 ), respectively , are simultaneously output to the switches 51 a to 54 a , 51 b to 54 b , 51 c to 54 c , respectively . now the operation of the decoder 70 a will be described in greater detail for the better understanding . during a first horizontal synchronization period hsp 1 , the decoder 70 a activates the operational amplifier 11 corresponding to a grayscale level specified by the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 0 ), for example , the grayscale level of 4 using the power control signal ps 1 ( at high level ) in an on period ont 1 , while deactivates the other operational amplifiers 12 , 13 , 14 using the power control signals ps 2 , ps 3 , ps 4 ( all at low level ). the decoder 70 a thus provides the grayscale level of 4 on a display . following the display , at a beginning timing t 1 of an off period oft 1 , the control circuit 90 makes the switches 80 a , 80 b , 80 c shut off using the open / close control signal cp ( at low level ) to control the open / close of the switches 80 a , 80 b , 80 c , while the logic circuits 21 to 24 deactivate the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 using the power control signals ps 1 to ps 4 ( all at low level ). consequently , during the off period ofti the vertical lines la , lb , lc and the contact points pa , pb , pc are close , while the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 remain deactivated . following the timing t 1 , at a timing t 2 the control circuit 90 makes the switches 41 to 44 turn on using the open / close control signal bp ( at high level ), that is , making a connection between the horizontal lines m 1 , m 2 , m 3 , m 4 and the ground potential vss . the control circuit 90 also makes the switches swa , swb , swc turn on using the open / close control signal dp ( at high level ), that is , making a connection between the vertical lines la , lb , lc and the ground potential vss . the former connection allows the discharge of any charge possibly remaining on the horizontal lines m 1 , m 2 , m 3 , m 4 , while the latter connection allows the discharge of any charge possibly remaining on the vertical lines la , lb , lc . since only the operational amplifier 11 is activated in the on period ont 1 as described above , the charge remains only on the horizontal line m 1 that is coupled to the operational amplifier 11 . the above - mentioned connections discharge the horizontal line m 1 and any of the vertical lines la , lb , lc coupled to the horizontal line m 1 . after the discharge begins , at a timing t 3 the control circuit 90 outputs the open / close control signal bp ( at low level ), and thereby making the switches 41 to 44 and the switches swa , swb , swc shut off . at a timing t 4 , the decoder 70 a reads out the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ) following the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 0 ) from the memory circuit 60 , that is , the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ) to specify a grayscale level to be displayed in the next horizontal synchronization period or a second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 . then the decoder 70 a outputs the switching control signal sw_cnta corresponding to the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ) to the switches 51 a to 54 a , and thereby connecting the vertical line la and one operational amplifier that is selected from the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 and corresponds to the grayscale level to be achieved based on the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ). the following description assumes that a connection between the vertical line la and the operational amplifier 12 is made by turning on and shutting off of the switches 51 a to 54 a according to the switching control signal sw_cnta based on the grayscale level of 3 specified by the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ). at a timing t 5 , the control circuit 90 turns on the switches swa , swb , swc using the open / close control signal up ( at high level ), that is , making a connection between the vertical lines la , lb , lc and the power potential vdd , and thereby setting the vertical lines la , lb , lc to have the power potential vdd . since the operational amplifier 12 has a connection to the vertical line la as mentioned above , the output terminal of the operational amplifier 12 , i . e . the horizontal line m 2 is set to have the power potential vdd , which means to be charged , via the vertical line la and the switch 52 a . at this timing t 5 , the control circuit 90 couples the horizontal lines m 1 to m 4 to the logic circuits 21 to 24 , respectively , all at once using the switching control signal se ( at high level ). for example , the control circuit 90 couples the horizontal line m 1 to the logic circuit 21 as shown in fig2 . at a timing t 6 , the control circuit 90 outputs the activation control signals lp , ap to the logic circuits 11 to 14 . with the rising edge of the activation control signals lp , ap , the logic circuits 21 to 24 identify whether the power potential vdd is on the horizontal lines m 1 to m 4 , in other words , which of the horizontal lines m 1 to m 4 is charged . as mentioned above , only the horizontal line m 2 among the horizontal lines m 1 to m 4 is charged to have the power potential vdd . therefore , only the logic circuit 22 detects the power potential vdd on the horizontal line m 2 , and as a result it applies the power control signal ps 2 ( at high level ) to the operational amplifier 12 and recognizes that the operational amplifier 12 is to be activated . detecting no power potential vdd on the horizontal lines m 1 , m 3 , m 4 , the other logic circuits 21 , 23 , 24 apply the power control signals ps 1 , ps 3 , ps 4 ( at low level ) to the operational amplifiers 11 , 13 , 14 and recognize that the operational amplifiers 11 , 13 , 14 are to be deactivated . at a beginning timing t 7 of an on period ont 2 of the second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 following the first horizontal synchronization period hsp 1 , the logic circuit 22 activates the operational amplifier 12 using the power control signal ps 2 ( at high level ), while the logic circuits 21 , 23 , 24 deactivate the operational amplifiers 11 , 13 , 14 using the power control signals ps 1 , ps 3 , ps 4 ( at low level ). also at this timing t 7 , the control circuit 90 turns on the switches swa , swb , swc using the open / close control signal cp ( at high level ), that is , making a connection between the vertical lines la , lb , lc and the output terminals pa , pb , pc . as a result , the voltage vq from the operational amplifier 12 is output by the output terminal pa via the horizontal line m 2 , the switch 52 a , and the vertical line la . as mentioned above , the driver 1 of the present exemplary embodiment includes the control circuit 90 , the decoder 70 a , and the logic circuits 21 to 24 cooperating to recognize that , during the off period oft 1 of the first horizontal synchronization period hsp 1 based on the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ) to be displayed during the second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 , only the operational amplifier 12 is to be activated and the other operational amplifiers 11 , 13 , 14 are to be deactivated during the on period ont 2 of the second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 . thus , the operational amplifier 12 is activated , while the other operational amplifiers 11 , 13 , 14 are deactivated at the beginning timing t 7 of the on period ont 2 . this makes it possible to reduce the amount of power consumed compared to related art drivers that always activate all the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 . in addition to the above - mentioned activation of the operational amplifier 12 by the decoder 70 a during the off period oft 1 of the first horizontal synchronization period hsp 1 , the decoder 70 b , which synchronizes with the decoder 70 a , and the logic circuits 21 to 24 cooperate to recognize that , during the off period oft 1 of the first horizontal synchronization period hsp 1 based on the image data d 5 to d 0 ( b_a 1 ) to be displayed during the second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 , only the operational amplifier 11 , for example , is to be activated during the on period ont 2 of the second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 . furthermore , the decoder 70 c , which synchronizes with the decoders 70 a , 70 b , and the logic circuits 21 to 24 cooperate to recognize that , during the off period oft 1 of the first horizontal synchronization period hsp 1 based on the image data d 5 to d 0 ( c_a 1 ) to be displayed during the second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 , only the operational amplifier 12 , for example , is to be activated during the on period ont 2 of the second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 . in this case , the logic circuits 21 to 24 activate only the operational amplifiers 11 , 12 at the beginning timing t 7 of the on period ont 2 of the second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 . to put it another way , during the off period oft 1 of the first horizontal synchronization period hsp 1 , the driver 1 identifies which of the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 is to be required during the on period ont 2 of the second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 based on the plurality of image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ), ( b_a 1 ), ( c_a 1 ) to be displayed during the second horizontal synchronization period hsp 2 , and activates only the required one at the timing t 7 . this makes it possible to reduce the amount of power consumed compared to related art drivers that always activate all the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 instead of the above - mentioned operational structure , in which in sync with the timing the decoder 70 a outputs the switching control signal sw_cnta corresponding to the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ) to the switches 51 a to 54 a , the other decoders 70 b , 70 c output the switching control signals sw_cntb , sw_cntc corresponding to the image data d 5 to d 0 ( b_a 1 ), ( c_a 1 ) to the switches 51 b to 54 b , 51 c to 54 c , respectively , the following operational structure is also conceivable . during the off period oft 1 of the first horizontal synchronization period hsp 1 as shown in fig6 , the decoders 70 a , 70 b , 70 c may sequentially output the switching control signals sw_cnta , sw_cntb , sw_cntc to the switches 51 a to 54 a , 51 b to 54 b , 51 c to 54 c , respectively . more specifically , during the off period oft 1 , a cycle of operations from the timing t 1 to the timing t 7 shown in fig5 is executed sequentially for the vertical lines la , lb , lc in this order . like the above - mentioned exemplary embodiment , this makes it possible to identify which of the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 is required to be activated , and moreover , to what degree each required operational amplifier is to be activated . for example , the decoder 70 a outputs the switching control signal sw_cnta corresponding to the image data d 5 to d 0 ( a_a 1 ), making the logic circuit 21 recognize that the operational amplifier 11 is to be activated for one vertical line . then the decoder 70 b outputs the switching control signal sw_cntb corresponding to the image data d 5 to d 0 ( b_a 1 ), making the logic circuit 22 recognize that the operational amplifier 12 is to be activated for one vertical line . subsequently , the decoder 70 c outputs the switching control signal sw_cntc corresponding to the image data d 5 to d 0 ( c_a 1 ), making the logic circuit 22 recognize that the operational amplifier 12 is to be activated for another vertical line , which means that the operational amplifier 12 is to be activated for two vertical lines in total . therefore , the logic circuits 21 to 24 recognize that for how many vertical lines each required operational amplifier is to be activated . this makes it possible to control the degree of activation using the power control signals ps 1 to ps 4 , and thereby increasing accuracy in the activation and decreasing the amount of power consumed compared to the above - mentioned exemplary embodiment . instead of the operational structure of the first exemplary modification , another operational structure is also conceivable in which the decoders 70 a , 70 b , 70 c , i . e . the switching control signals sw_cnta , sw_cntb , sw_cntc , are divided into a plurality of blocks bl 1 , bl 2 , bl 3 ( not limited to the three ) as shown in fig7 . for example , the block bl 1 is composed of the decoders 70 a , 70 b , 70 c , 70 d . in addition , during the off period oft 1 , a cycle of operations from the timing t 1 to the timing t 7 shown in fig5 is executed sequentially for the blocks bl 1 , bl 2 , bl 3 in this order . moreover , the switching control signal sw_cnt from the decoder 70 , more specifically , the switching control signals sw_cnta , sw_cntb , sw_cntc , sw_cntd from the decoder 70 a are output all at once . these allow a reduction in power consumed compared to the above - mentioned exemplary embodiment . for example , during the off period oft 1 of the first horizontal synchronization period hsp 1 , the decoders 70 a to 70 d output the switching control signals sw_cnta to sw_cntd all at once , making the logic circuits 21 to 24 recognize that the operational amplifiers 11 , 12 are to be activated . then , decoders 70 e to 70 h output switching control signals sw_cnte to sw_cnth all at once , making the logic circuits 21 to 24 recognize that the operational amplifiers 11 , 13 are to be activated . subsequently , decoders 70 i to 70 l output switching control signals sw_cnti to sw_cntl , making the logic circuits 21 to 24 recognize that the operational amplifiers 11 , 12 are to be activated . in this case , the operational amplifier 11 needs to take the three blocks bl 1 , bl 2 , bl 3 , and is required to be activated for 12 vertical lines at most ( four lines × three blocks ); the operational amplifier 12 needs to take the two blocks bl 1 , bl 3 , and is required to be activated for eight vertical lines at most ( four lines × two blocks ); the operational amplifier 13 needs to take the one block bl 2 , and is required to be activated for four vertical lines at most ( four lines × one block ); and the operational amplifier 14 is not required to be activated at all . therefore , the logic circuit 21 activates the operational amplifier 11 for 12 vertical lines using the power control signal ps 1 , the logic circuit 22 activates the operational amplifier 12 for eight vertical lines using the power control signal ps 2 , the logic circuit 23 activates the operational amplifier 13 for four vertical lines using the power control signals ps 3 , and the logic circuit 24 deactivates the operational amplifier 14 using the power control signal ps 4 . the total amount of power consumed in the second modification is for 24 vertical lines ( 12 + 8 + 4 + 0 ), which is less than that of related art drivers that always activate the operational amplifiers 11 to 14 each for 12 vertical lines , that is , consuming power for 48 vertical lines ( 12 lines × four operational amplifiers ). | 6 |
in an embodiment , the invention is based in part on the discovery that foulant material can form in a separation zone or fractionation system downstream of a coking process resulting in a separated coker gas oil containing coke particles and foulant . the foulant is a coke precursor material that is high in hydrocarbon content , but low in metal content . while it is a coke like material , it is referred to herein as “ foulant ” to distinguish it from coke particles that have escaped from the coking process . it has also been discovered that foulant agglomeration results at least in part from the presence of macromolecules in the separation region having a molecular weight ranging up to about 3000 , usually from about 1000 up to about 3000 . such macromolecules , including polymers and oligimers , but collectively referred to herein as oligomers , coat the coke &# 39 ; s surface resulting in foulant particles that can adhere to each other and the filters employed to remove coke from the gas oil . the presence of foulant particles on the filters results in diminished filter regeneration effectiveness during backflushing steps . the oligomers form largely from oxygen induced polymerization of conjugated dienes present in the coker effluent . oligomers of conjugated dienes structurally contain one olefinic double bond per unit of conjugated diene polymerized . additionally , styrenes and indenes present in the coker effluent may form oligomers and may also be incorporated into the conjugated diene oligomers . as is known to those skilled in the art of polymerization , the presence of unsaturation in a polymer as results from the incorporation of olefinic double bonds and aromatics leads to the formation of a sticky polymer . it is believed that filter fouling results when the oligomers coat the surface of coke in the high boiling fractions separated from the coker effluent . as temperature increases , these oligomers grow and can become insoluble , gummy materials . potentially , each double bond in the oligomer is attached by physical interaction to the coke surface forming foulant . it is the sum of all the attachments that gives adhesive strength for the oligomer to hold onto the coke and form a tenacious multilayer sticky coating that then leads to fine coke particles that would otherwise pass through the filter sticking to each other . in conventional processing of the coker gas oil , the gas oil is conducted to one or more filters during a first step where coke is removed from the gas oil . the filter gradually accumulates coke particles , resulting in reduced filter permeability and lower gas oil yield . accordingly , a second step is employed following the first step , where the separated gas oil is diverted away from the filter and the filter is backflushed to remove the coke from the filter . some systems employ gas pressure to assist this backflush . when filter permeability is restored , the second step is concluded and the first step is commenced . the first and second steps may be alternated in a semi - continuous fashion . the presence of foulant during filtering of the fine ( micron and submicron ) coke particles leads to agglomeration of the fine particles into particles too large to pass through the filter and therefore to premature plugging of the filters during the first step . additionally , the adhesive forces mediated by the foulant prevent the effective backflushing and regeneration of the plugged filters . moreover , foulant attached to the surface of the coke has low solubility in conventional organic and hydrocarbon solvents employed for the optional filter soak step , and , consequently , the effectiveness of the backflush during the second step gradually diminishes as foulant accumulates on the filter . it has been discovered that the foulant may be removed and filter permeability can be restored by contacting the filter with a treatment solution comprising hydrogen peroxide . it has also been discovered that coke particles coated with foulant can be upgraded by contacting the fouled coke particles with the treatment solution . while filter fouling may be experienced when processing effluent from any coker process , and the methods described herein may be used to control fouling in all coking processes , an embodiment for mitigating filter fouling in effluent from a flexicoking process will be described in detail as a representative case . referring to fig1 , fresh feed containing one or more of heavy oil , resid , coal tar , shale oil , bitumen , and the like is pre - heated into a range of about 600 ° f . to about 700 ° f . ( 315 to 370 ° c .) and then conducted via line 1 to reactor 3 where the feed contacts a hot fluidized bed of coke obtained via line 9 from heater 8 . the hot coke provides sensible heat and heat of vaporization for the feed and the heat required for the endothermic cracking reactions . the cracked vapor products pass through cyclone separators at the top of the reactor to remove coke particles for return to the bed . the vapors are then quenched in the scrubber 4 located above the reactor , where a portion ( preferably a high boiling portion ) of the cracked vapors are condensed and recycled to the reactor . the remaining cracked vapors are conducted to the coker fractionator via line 5 . wash oil is conducted to the scrubber via line 6 to provide quench cooling and to further reduce the amount of entrained coke particles . coke produced by cracking forms as a deposit on the surface of existing coke particles in the reactor . such coke is stripped with steam conducted to the reactor via line 2 and then returned to the heater via line 7 where it is heated to a temperature of about 1100 ° f . ( 593 ° c .). the heater serves to transfer heat from the gasifier 16 to the reactor . accordingly , coke flows via line 13 from the heater to the gasifier where the coke reacts with steam , conducted in via line 17 and air conducted in via line 18 . a fuel gas product is formed comprising co , h 2 , co 2 , n 2 , h 2 s , and nh 3 . coke can be returned from the gasifier to the heater via line 12 . fuel gas is conducted from the top of the gasifier via line 14 to the bottom of the heater to assist in maintaining a fluidized coke bed in the heater . coke gas is removed from the process via line 15 . coke is removed from the process via line 10 . referring now to fig2 , effluent from the coker is conducted to a first separation region , the coker fractionator 21 , via line 19 . a stream of coker naphtha is separated from the top of the fractionator ( temperature about 230 ° f . ( 110 ° c .) to about 260 ° f . ( 127 ° c .)) and conducted to a second separation region , drum 22 , via line 23 . region 22 is maintained in thermal equilibrium at about 110 ° f . ( 43 ° c .). the coker naphtha is very reactive as it contains high concentrations of low molecular weight conjugated dienes compared to the higher boiling fractions . the coker naphtha also can contain styrenes and indenes . separation region 22 is divided into three zones . an upper zone ( a ) contains vapor phase material which may be withdrawn via line 24 . an intermediate zone ( b ) contains liquid hydrocarbon to be returned to the coker fractionator 21 as reflux . a lower zone ( c ) contains an aqueous liquid to maintain zone b at the proper level in region 22 so that it can be withdrawn via line 30 . excess condensed aqueous material can be conducted away via line 26 . wash oil is separated in the coker fractionator and returned to the coker via line 20 . coker gas oil is separated and conducted to filter 31 via line 27 . filtered gas oil is conducted away from the process via line 28 . it has been discovered that oxygen present in separation region 22 reacts largely with conjugated dienes and pyrroles in the coker naphtha to form peroxides . one way oxygen can be introduced into the process is via the external streams through line 25 . steam , e . g ., obtained from other petroleum processes , may contain upwards of 100 ppm oxygen , based on the weight of the steam . some refinery steam sources contain as much as 4500 ppm oxygen . the presence of more than 3 ppm oxygen in the steam will lead to the formation of significant quantities , about 0 . 5 to about 5 ppm , of peroxides with the conjugated dienes in the coker naphtha which , on subsequent heating from 110 ° f . ( 43 ° c .) to 230 ° f . ( 110 ° c .) on entering the top of the coker fractionator , initiate oligomer / polymer - forming chain reactions . accordingly , unless oxygen is excluded from the process or scavenged , peroxide initiators will form , and the peroxides will initiate the formation of oligomers in the coker fractionator . in an embodiment , the invention relates to improving yield in a coking process , reducing the frequency of filter backflushing ( i . e ., increasing the length of the first step compared to the second ), and removing an upgraded coke from the filters . in one embodiment , the pressure drop across the filter is monitored during the first and second step . initially , during the first step , the pressure drop will be at a first value in the range of about 1 to about 5 psig . the pressure drop increases during the first step as foulant and coke accumulates in and on the filter . when the pressure drop reaches a second value between about 15 and 20 psig , the first step is concluded and the second step is commenced . in one embodiment , backflushing is conducted until the pressure drop is restored into a range of about 1 to about 5 psig . alternatively , if a bank of two or more filters are in operation , a cyclic regeneration approach may be taken . in this embodiment , the filter bundle to be regenerated is isolated from the process and replaced by the second filter bundle which is put into operation while the first is regenerated in a batch ( or semi - continuous ) mode . in another embodiment , the second step is conducted for a time sufficient to remove the sticky coating and form an upgraded coke . it has been discovered using , x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( xps ), that the foulant and coke have different surface aromaticity . measured aromaticity of the foulant on the surface of the coke ranged from about 53 % to about 55 %, whereas bed coke particles average between 75 - 95 %. this lower level of aromaticity indicates a foulant surface coating of lower aromatic material . accordingly , the second step can have a duration sufficient to effectively restore the surface aromaticity of the coke particle into the range of 75 to about 90 % by oxidizing the foulant on the surface , or , until the particles no longer stick together . in other words , it is only necessary to oxidize the foulant on the surface to the point of eliminating stickiness . the oxidized surface , because it is functionalized by the oxidation , will have a lower aromaticity than the unoxidized foulant . hydrogen peroxide ( 30 - 70 %) is the preferred treatment solution for soaking in the third step . the hydrogen peroxide can be used in an aqueous solution , in combination with a second liquid such as acetic acid , and mixtures thereof . use of aqueous hydrogen peroxide in combination with an organic solvent such as acetic acid facilitates wetting of the organic foulant on the surface of the coke and thereby results in faster rates for the oxidation reaction . treatment solutions containing oxidizing agents soluble in water , hydrocarbon , or both may be employed . for example , nitric acid , chromic acid , permanganates , ceric oxide , peracetic acid , perbenzoic acid , ozone , and the like can be employed . when hydrogen peroxide is employed , the duration of the third step will generally range from 15 minutes to 2 hours , preferably 1 . 5 hours , and more preferably 1 hour at a temperature ranging from 50 ° c . to 200 ° c ., preferably 100 ° c . to 200 ° c ., and more preferably from 100 ° c . to 125 ° c . at the conclusion of the third step , the oxidized coke surface may optionally be rinsed with aqueous , aqueous - methanolic , or methanolic potassium iodide or another reducing agent , e . g ., 0 . 3 m potassium iodide in methanol , to destroy peroxides formed on the carbon surface during the backflushing . | 2 |
reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . however , the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments . in the drawings , like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout . fig1 illustrates an encryption device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention . as an example , the encryption device 100 may be included in an integrated circuit ( ic ) chip of a smart card . the encryption device 100 may include an electrically erasable and programmable read only memory ( eeprom ) 120 to store data , a central processing unit ( cpu ) 130 , and optionally , a synchronous dynamic random access memory ( sdram ) 140 . the encryption device 100 may communicate with an external environment through an input / output ( i / o ) interface 101 . the encryption device 100 may include an encryption module 110 , for example , a crypto co - processor for encryption . hereinafter , unless otherwise mentioned , depending on an application of the encryption device 100 included in a smart card or an ic chip of a smart card , at least a portion of the optional sdram 140 , the cpu 130 , and the eeprom 120 may be omitted , and various changes and applications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit of the present invention . in addition , hereinafter , unless otherwise mentioned , the i / o interface 101 may be an input and output route of data input into , or output from , the encryption device 100 , irrespective of schemes , for example , a contact type scheme and / or a contactless scheme . the encryption module 110 of the encryption device 100 may use an encryption key in a process of executing an encryption algorithm . the encryption key may include a public key , a secret key , and the like . in a conventional scheme , an encryption key for executing an encryption algorithm may be stored outside of the encryption module 110 in a form of a digital value , and the encryption module 110 may receive the encryption key through a bus 102 in a process of encrypting and / or decrypting data by executing the encryption algorithm . however , such a scheme is vulnerable to physical attacks of figuring out an encryption key and / or an encryption algorithm . such physical attacks may directly attack a region in a memory , for example , the eeprom 120 , and the like , in which an encryption key is present , to extract the encryption key in the memory using a method , for example , probing , or memory scanning . in addition , a location of the bus 102 in the ic chip may be verified by performing reverse engineering . accordingly , the encryption key may be extracted by performing bus probing using a micro - probe when a predetermined command is performed artificially . according to the present embodiment , an encryption key may be generated directly by an encryption key module 111 included in the encryption module 110 , and / or a pre - generated encryption key may be stored in the encryption key module 111 . such an encryption key may be provided when the encryption module 110 executes an encryption algorithm . accordingly , the encryption key to be used by the encryption module 110 in the process of executing the encryption algorithm may not be stored outside of the encryption module 110 in a form of a digital value , and may not be transferred through the bus 102 and thus , physical attacks on the encryption algorithm of the encryption module 110 may be prevented . the encryption key module 111 to generate and / or store an encryption key and provide the encryption key when an encryption algorithm is executed by the encryption module 110 may be physically included or embedded in the encryption module 110 . various exemplary embodiments of a configuration and an operation of the encryption module 110 will be described with reference to fig2 and the subsequent drawings . fig2 illustrates the encryption module 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig1 , the encryption module 110 may be connected to other components through the bus 102 in the encryption device 100 . referring to fig2 , the encryption module 110 may include at least one encryption key module 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 . the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 may generate and / or store encryption keys to be used for executing an encryption algorithm , individually or jointly , and provide the encryption keys to the encryption module 110 . in an embodiment , a single encryption key module may be included in the encryption module 110 . in another embodiment , a plurality of encryption key modules may be included in the encryption module 110 , as shown in fig2 . in addition , when a plurality of encryption key modules is included in the encryption module 110 , at least a portion of the plurality of encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 may correspond to dummies that do not provide encryption keys . an embodiment in which the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 are implemented may include a case in which the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 correspond to memory devices , and a case in which the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 correspond to non - memory devices . an embodiment in which a portion of the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 correspond to memory devices , and another portion of the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 correspond to non - memory devices may also be possible . the present invention should not be construed as being limited to a portion of the embodiments . as an example , in the embodiment in which the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 include memory devices , pre - generated encryption keys of a form of a digital value may be simply stored in the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 corresponding to the memory devices , and may be read for use , as necessary , in a process of executing an encryption algorithmun by the encryption module 110 . in the other embodiment , when the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 include non - memory devices , at least a portion of the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 may be implemented by physical unclonable functions ( pufs ). in the embodiment in which the encryption key modules 210 , 220 , 230 , 240 , and 250 include non - memory devices such as pufs , there are various embodiments for implementing the pufs . as an example , the pufs may be implemented by violating a design rule in a semiconductor manufacturing process , or using a semiconductor manufacturing process variation . such embodiments will be described in detail with reference to fig4 through 13 . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of the encryption module 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention . when data to be encrypted is input into a data input unit 310 through the bus 102 , and the like , execution of an encryption algorithm may be initiated . as described with reference to fig2 , a single encryption key module 320 or a plurality of encryption key modules 320 may be physically included in the encryption module 110 . as an example , when an encryption key module 01 ( 321 ) through an encryption key module n ( 322 ) are present , an encryption key module selector 330 may select an encryption key module to provide an encryption key to be used for an encryption algorithm . here , n denotes a natural number . such a selection may correspond to index information of an encryption key module to be selected , among indices identifying the encryption key modules 320 , or may be predetermined by wiring in a process of designing and manufacturing the encryption key modules 320 along with the encryption module 110 . when an encryption key is provided through the process , an encryption unit 340 may execute an encryption algorithm using the encryption key to encrypt the input data , and the encrypted data may be transferred to other components via a data output unit 350 through the bus 102 . although only the process of encrypting data has been described , a decryption process using an encryption algorithm may be similar . the embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to one of encryption and decryption . since the encryption key is managed within the encryption module 110 autonomously , the encryption key may not be transferred to an external environment of the encryption module 110 , or to the encryption module 110 from an external environment . accordingly , a probability of success of physical attacks may decrease . in particular , a probability of success of a physical attack of probing the bus 102 may be extremely low . a case in which encryption keys correspond to memory devices has been described with reference to fig1 and 2 . hereinafter , embodiments in which encryption key modules are implemented using pufs corresponding to non - memory devices will be described with reference to fig4 through 13 . for reference , a puf mentioned herein may generate an encryption key physically unclonable and unchanged once manufactured . hereinafter , various embodiments in which encryption key modules are implemented by pufs corresponding to non - memory devices will be described . fig4 through 8 may correspond to examples in which encryption key modules to generate encryption keys are implemented using a semiconductor process variation . fig9 through 13 correspond to examples in which encryption key modules to generate encryption keys are implemented by violating a design rule for designing a circuit . fig4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a concept of a unit cell constituting an encryption key module of a form of a puf to generate an encryption key using a process variation according to an embodiment of the present invention . in fig4 , a first inverter 410 and a second inverter 420 are shown . a semiconductor process variation may be caused by various reasons . for example , when a transistor is manufactured , a process variation may be caused by a parameter , for example , a threshold voltage , an index associated with an oxide thickness , an index associated with a doping concentration , a valid gate length , or the like . in general , a semiconductor manufacturing process with a minor process variation may be regarded as excellent . however , due to physical characteristics , the process variation may be reduced but may not be removed completely . in the present embodiment , the first inverter 410 may have a first logic threshold , and the second inverter 420 may have a second logic threshold . a logic threshold may refer to a value of a voltage when an input voltage of an inverter is identical to an output voltage of the inverter . a further detailed description will be provided with reference to fig5 . a logic threshold of an inverter device may be measured using a value of a voltage when an output terminal and an input terminal of an inverter being operated are shorted . inverters manufactured by an identical process may be designed to have an identical logic threshold . however , as described above , due to process variation in an actual manufacturing process , any two inverters may not have a perfectly identical logic threshold . according to the present embodiment , the first inverter 410 and the second inverter 420 may be manufactured by an equivalent process , and may have a difference between logic thresholds resulting from a process variation . the difference between the logic thresholds may vary depending on a process , and may correspond to , for example , a size of about a few to tens of millivolts . accordingly , the logic threshold of the first inverter 410 and the logic threshold of the second inverter 420 measured using a separate comparator circuit may be inaccurate due to an error in measurement . accordingly , there is a demand for a method of comparing logic thresholds of two inverters relatively , in particular , a method of measuring logic thresholds of two inverters without a separate comparator circuit . in an embodiment of the present invention , a greater logic threshold may be determined by comparing logic thresholds of two inverters relatively ( autonomously without use of a separate comparator circuit ). in a case in which the second inverter 420 is absent , an output voltage of the first inverter 410 may be identical to a logic threshold of the first inverter 410 when an input terminal and an output terminal of the first inverter 410 are shorted . in addition , in a case in which the first inverter 410 is absent , an output voltage of the second inverter 420 may be identical to a logic threshold of the second inverter 420 when an input terminal and an output terminal of the second inverter 420 are shorted . however , as shown in fig4 , when the input terminal of the first inverter 410 and the output terminal of the second inverter 420 are shorted to be connected to a first node , and the output terminal of the first inverter 410 and the input terminal of the second inverter 420 are shorted to be connected to a second node , different results may be yielded . when the first node and the second node are shorted using a switch 430 , values of voltages of the two shorted nodes may be values between the logic threshold of the first inverter 410 and the logic threshold of the second inverter 420 ( may not be an average value , hereinafter , the same shall apply ). irrespective of a greater value of the logic thresholds of the two inverters , a value of an output voltage may be a value between the logic thresholds of the two inverters while the switch 430 is closed . when the switch 430 is opened to open the first node and the second node , a logical level of a value of a voltage of one of the first node and the second node may be “ 0 ”, and a logical level of a value of a voltage of the other may be “ 1 ”. for example , when the logic threshold of the first inverter 410 is lower than the logic threshold of the second inverter 420 , a voltage of the first node may be higher than the logic threshold of the first inverter 410 while the switch 430 is closed such that the first node ( an opposite node of an out node ) and the second node ( the out node ) are shorted . accordingly , when the switch 430 is re - opened such that the first node and the second node are opened , the first inverter 410 may recognize a voltage of the first node ( corresponding to the input terminal of the first inverter 410 ) as a high logical level , and make a voltage of the second node corresponding to the output terminal of the first inverter 410 be a low logical level . in this instance , the second inverter 420 may recognize a voltage of the second node ( corresponding to the input terminal of the second inverter 420 ) as a low logical level , and make a voltage of the first node corresponding to the output terminal of the second inverter 420 be a high logical level . accordingly , the logical level of the voltage of the second terminal corresponding to the output terminal (“ out ”) of fig4 may be high . conversely , when the logic threshold of the first inverter 410 is higher than the logic threshold of the second inverter 420 , a voltage of the first node while the switch 430 is closed such that the first node and the second node are shorted may be lower than the logic threshold of the first inverter 410 . accordingly , when the switch 430 is re - opened such that the first node and the second node are opened , the first inverter 410 may recognize a voltage of the first node ( corresponding to the input terminal of the first inverter 410 ) as a low logical level , and make a voltage of the second node corresponding to the output terminal of the first inverter 410 be a high logical level . in this instance , the second inverter 420 may recognize a voltage of the second node ( corresponding to the input terminal of the second inverter 420 ) as a high logical level , and make a voltage of the first node corresponding to the output terminal of the second inverter 420 be a low logical level . accordingly , the logical level of the voltage of the second terminal corresponding to the output terminal (“ out ”) of fig4 may be low . as described above , depending on a higher value of the logic threshold of the first inverter 410 and the logic threshold of the second inverter 420 , the logical level of the output terminal (“ out ”) after the switch 430 is shorted - opened may be high ( or “ 1 ”), or low ( or “ 0 ”). a greater value of logic thresholds of the first inverter 410 and the second inverter 420 manufactured by an identical manufacturing process may be determined at random . probabilistically , a probability that one of two inverters has a logic threshold higher than a logic threshold of the other may be about 50 %. in addition , once manufactured , it may not be easy to change the greater logic threshold value . through the embodiment of fig4 , a 1 - bit digital value ( a value having an identical probability of being “ 1 ” or being “ 0 ”, however , may not be easy to change once manufactured ) may be generated . the process described above may be understood more clearly through a graph of fig5 . fig5 is a reference graph for understanding of the embodiment of fig4 . the exemplary reference graph illustrates a voltage characteristic for a case in which the logic threshold of the first inverter 410 is lower than the logic threshold of the second inverter 420 of fig4 . a curve 510 indicates a voltage characteristic of the first inverter 410 , and a curve 520 indicates a voltage characteristic of the second inverter 420 . when the first inverter 410 and the second inverter 420 are manufactured by an equivalent manufacturing process according to an embodiment of the present invention , the curve 510 and the curve 520 may be almost identical , but may have a modest difference due to process variation . when a point of intersection of the curve 510 and a straight line 530 with a slope of “ 1 ” is found , the logic threshold v 1 of the first inverter 410 may be determined . in addition , when a point of intersection of the curve 520 and the straight line 530 is found , the logic threshold v 2 of the second inverter 420 may be determined . in the present embodiment , v 1 is lower than v 2 . accordingly , when the switch 430 of fig4 is closed such that the first node and the second node are shorted ( also referred to as “ reset ”), voltages v reset of the first node and the second node may correspond to values between v 1 , and v 2 . when the switch 430 is re - opened such that the first node and the second node are opened , the first inverter 410 may recognize the voltage v reset of the first node as a high logical level , and make the voltage of the second node corresponding to the output terminal of the first inverter 410 be a low logical level . in this instance , the second inverter 420 may recognize the voltage v reset of the second node as a low logical level , and make the voltage of the first node corresponding to the output terminal of the second inverter 420 be a high logical level . accordingly , the logical level of the voltage of the second terminal corresponding to the output terminal (“ out ”) of fig4 may be high . in a case in which a unit cell illustrated in fig4 generates a 1 - bit digital value , an encryption key may be generated using an n - bit digital value by integrating n unit cells . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the encryption key modules 320 may be implemented using such a scheme . an encryption key module to generate an encryption key of a form of a digital value based on a difference between logic thresholds of inverter devices using a semiconductor process variation may be implemented by a configuration of fig6 . fig6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary implementation of an encryption key module 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig6 , the encryption key module 600 may include five inverters 611 through 615 , a selector 620 , and a comparator 630 . the selector 620 may select two inverters from the five inverters of fig6 . for example , the inverter 612 and the inverter 613 may be selected . in this example , the comparator 630 may compare a logic threshold of the inverter 612 to a logic threshold of the inverter 613 , and provide an output voltage to an out terminal based on a result of the comparing . a 1 - bit digital value may be generated based on a logical level of the output voltage of the out terminal . when the selector 620 selects other two inverters , the comparator 630 may generate a 1 - bit digital value again . as described above , when the selector 620 selects two inverters from the five inverters 611 through 615 , and the comparator 630 generates a digital value by comparing logic thresholds of the two selected inverters , a digital value of a maximum of 10 bits may be obtained . although five inverters are included in the present embodiment , the present invention is not limited thereto . various changes may be made in view of an area of a circuit , a number of bits in a digital value to be generated , and the like . in the present embodiment , considering that an area of the comparator 630 to be integrated in a semiconductor chip is considerably large , when compared to an area of the inverters 611 through 615 , a plurality of inverters and the single comparator 630 are connected through the selector 620 . however , in other applications , a single comparator may make a pair with two inverters to generate an n - bit digital value . the encryption key module to generate an encryption key of a form of a digital value based on a difference between logic thresholds of inverter devices using a semiconductor process variation may also be implemented by a configuration of fig7 . fig7 illustrates a unit cell 700 of an encryption key module to generate a digital value using a process variation of a differential amplifier according to an embodiment of the present invention . the unit cell 700 may correspond to a circuit of a differential amplifier . the unit cell corresponding to the circuit of the differential amplifier including at least one device of a transistor and a resistor may amplify a difference between a voltage of a first input terminal 711 and a voltage of a second input terminal 712 , and provide the amplified difference as a difference between a voltage of a first output terminal 721 and a voltage of a second output terminal 722 . accordingly , when the first input terminal 711 and the second input terminal 712 are shorted , a value of an output voltage corresponding to the difference of the voltage of the first output terminal 721 and the voltage of the second output terminal 722 may be “ 0 ”, in theory . however , due to a difference in electrical characteristics between devices resulting from a semiconductor process variation , the voltage of the first output terminal 721 may not be identical to the voltage of the second output terminal 722 . accordingly , by comparing voltages of two output terminals to verify a higher voltage using a method similar to the method of comparing logic thresholds of inverters in the embodiment of fig6 , a 1 - bit digital value may be generated . for example , in a case in which the first input terminal 711 and the second input terminal 712 are shorted , when a value of the voltage of the first output terminal 721 is higher than a value of the voltage of the second output terminal 722 , a digital value “ 1 ” may be recognized . conversely , when the value of the voltage of the first output terminal 721 is lower than the value of the voltage of the second output terminal 722 , a digital value “ 0 ” may be recognized . accordingly , when n unit cells are integrated , each of the n unit cells may corresponding to differential amplifier 700 , an encryption key may be provided in a form of an n - bit digital value , and an encryption key module according to an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented . such an implementation is illustrated in fig8 . fig8 illustrates an exemplary diagram in which an encryption key module 800 is implemented according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig8 , the encryption key module 800 may include six differential amplifiers 811 through 816 , a selector 820 to select one from the six differential amplifiers , and a comparator 830 to compare two output voltages of the differential amplifier selected by the selector 820 to generate a 1 - bit digital value . in this example , all input terminals of the six differential amplifiers 811 through 816 may be shorted , and may have an identical voltage . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the selector 820 may include a 6 : 1 multiplexer ( mux ) device . however , the present embodiment may be an example for implementation of the present invention , and the present invention is not limited to a specific embodiment . accordingly , a number of input / output ports of the mux device may be changed . in addition , the selector 820 may include another device , other than the mux device . the 6 : 1 mux device may output , to two output terminals , output voltages of the six differential amplifiers through twelve input terminals . the two output terminals may be connected to two input terminals of the comparator 830 . in the present embodiment , the encryption key module 800 may generate an encryption key corresponding to a 6 - bit digital value . the embodiments in which encryption key modules are implemented using a semiconductor process variation have been described with reference to fig4 through 8 . hereinafter , embodiments in which encryption key modules are implemented by violating a semiconductor design rule will be described with reference to fig9 through 13 . fig9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a principle of generating an encryption key module by violating a semiconductor design rule according to an embodiment of the present invention . in general , a contact or a via may be designed to connect conductive layers , and a size of the contact or the via may be determined for the conductive layers to be shorted . in a general design rule , a minimum size of a contact or a via may be determined to guarantee that conductive layers are shorted . however , in an implementation of encryption key modules according to an embodiment of the present invention , by reducing a size of a contact or a via to be smaller than a size determined in the design rule , a portion of contacts or vias may short conductive layers , and another portion of the contacts or the vias may not short the conductive layers . whether the contacts or the vias short the conductive layers may be determined , probabilistically . in a conventional semiconductor process , when a contact or a via is not able to short conductive layers , the process may be considered to have failed . however , in the present invention , such a failure may be used to generate an encryption key having randomness . referring to fig9 , vias may be formed between a first metal layer 902 and a second metal layer 901 in a semiconductor manufacturing process . in a group 910 in which vias are set to a sufficient size according to a design rule , all of the vias may short the first metal layer 902 and the second metal layer 901 , and whether the vias short the first metal layer 902 and the second metal layer 901 may be expressed by a digital value “ 0 ”. in a group 930 in which vias are set to a small size , all of the vias may not short the first metal layer 902 and the second metal layer 901 . accordingly , whether the vias short the first metal layer 902 and the second metal layer 901 may be expressed by a digital value “ 1 ”. in a group 920 in which sizes of vias are between the sizes of the vias of the group 910 and the sizes of the vias of the group 930 , a portion of the vias may short the first metal layer 902 and the second metal layer 901 , and another portion of the vias may not short the first metal layer 902 and the second metal layer 901 . according to an embodiment of the present invention , in order to implement an encryption key module , sizes of vias may be set for a portion of the vias to short the first metal layer 902 and the second metal layer 901 , and another portion of the vias not to short the first metal layer 902 and the second metal layer 901 , as shown in the group 920 . a design rule associated with a size of a via may vary depending on a semiconductor manufacturing process . for example , when a size of a via complying a design rule is set to 0 . 25 micrometers ( μm ) in a process of manufacturing a complementary metal - oxide - semiconductor ( cmos ) of 0 . 18 μm , in an implementation of an encryption key module according to an embodiment of the present invention , the design rule may be violated to set the size of the via to 0 . 19 μm , whereby whether the via short metal layers may be distributed probabilistically . the probability distribution regarding whether the via shorts the metal layers may be set to a short probability of 50 %, ideally . in the implementation of encryption key modules according to an embodiment of the present invention , the size of the via may be set for the probability distribution to be as close as possible to 50 %. in the setting of the size of the via , the size of the via may be determined by an experiment according to a process . fig1 is a graph illustrating a configuration of an encryption key module implemented by violating a semiconductor design rule according to an embodiment of the present invention . in the graph , as a size of a via increases , a probability that metal layers are shorted may become closer to “ 1 ”. sd denotes a size of a via according to a design rule , and may correspond to a value sufficiently guaranteeing that the metal layers are shorted . sm denotes a size of a via with which a probability that the metal layers are shorted may correspond to “ 0 . 5 ”, in theory . as described above , the value may be changed depending on a process , and a similar value may be found by an experiment . however , an exact value of sm may not be easy to find . accordingly , in an implementation of encryption key modules according to an embodiment of the present invention , whether the metal layers are shorted may be set to 0 . 5 within a range between sx1 and sx2 ( although not shown separately , denoting a region having a predetermined margin based on sx ) that may have a predetermined allowable error found by experimentation . the embodiments in which an encryption key module is implemented by violating a design rule associated with a size of a via have been described with reference to fig9 and 10 . according to other embodiments of the present invention , encryption key modules may be implemented by violating a design rule associated with a gap between conductive layers . fig1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a process of generating an encryption key module by adjusting a gap between conductive layers according to an embodiment of the present invention . as described above , according to the present embodiment , by adjusting a gap between metal lines , whether the metal lines are shorted may be determined probabilistically . in a group 1110 in which gaps between metal lines are sufficiently narrow to guarantee that the metal lines are shorted , all of the metal lines are shorted . in a group 1130 in which gaps between metal lines are large , all of the metal lines are not shorted . in the present embodiment , in order to implement an encryption key module , gaps between metal lines may be set to short the metal lines probabilistically , for a portion of the metal lines to be shorted and another portion of the metal lines not to be shorted , as shown in a group 1120 . fig1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of an array of vias or contacts formed on a semiconductor layer to implement an encryption key module 1200 according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , m vias in width and n vias in length , a total of m × n vias , may be formed between metal layers laminated on a semiconductor substrate . here , m and n denote natural numbers . the encryption key module 1200 may generate and provide an encryption key of m × n bits , based on whether each of the m × n vias shorts the metal layers ( a digital value “ 0 ”), or does not short the metal layers ( a digital value “ 1 ”). fig1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a process of post - processing a digital value generated in the embodiment of fig1 for balancing of “ 0 ” and “ 1 ”, rather than using the original digital value as an encryption key , according to an embodiment of the present invention . according to the present embodiment , an m × n - bit digital value generated by the encryption key module 1200 may be divided based on k predetermined units . here , k denotes a natural number . the division shown in fig1 may be provided as an example for ease of description . in an actual implementation , a method of dividing flip - flops or registers in the encryption key module 1200 , and the like may be possible . accordingly , various changes and applications may be made by those skilled in the art to the process of performing balancing of “ 0 ” and “ 1 ” using the method of dividing the digital value , and such changes and applications should not be construed as departing from the scope of the present invention . in the example of fig1 , four digital values may be classified as a single group . the encryption key module 1200 may compare a size of a 4 - bit digital value generated by a group 1310 to a size of a 4 - bit digital value generated by a group 1320 . when the 4 - bit digital value of the group 1310 is greater than the 4 - bit digital value of the group 1320 , digital values representing the group 1310 and the group 1320 may be determined to be “ 1 ”. conversely , when the 4 - bit digital value of the group 1310 is less than the 4 - bit digital value of the group 1320 , the digital values representing the group 1310 and the group 1320 may be determined to be “ 0 ”. in another embodiment , digital values representing groups may be determined by comparing numbers of 1 - bit digital values of the groups . the method according to the above - described embodiments of the present invention may be recorded in computer - readable media including program instructions to implement various operations embodied by a computer . the media may also include , alone or in combination with the program instructions , data files , data structures , and the like . examples of computer - readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks , floppy disks , and magnetic tape ; optical media such as cd rom discs and dvds ; magneto - optical media such as floptical discs ; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform program instructions , such as read - only memory ( rom ), random access memory ( ram ), flash memory , and the like . examples of program instructions include both machine code , such as produced by a compiler , and files containing higher level code that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter . the described hardware devices may be configured to act as one or more software modules in order to perform the operations of the above - described exemplary embodiments of the present invention , or vice versa . although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments . instead , it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention , the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents . | 7 |
fig1 shows an image forming device 10 relating to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the image forming device 10 is structured with a print server 12 and a printer 14 . the print server 12 is equipped with a server main unit 12 s , a keyboard 12 k , a mouse 12 m , and a display section 12 l such as a crt display , an lcd display or the like . the print server 12 implements printing output in accordance with a printing job . the printer 14 is equipped with a printing section which prints an image and a scanner 42 which acquires image data , and is also equipped with a calorimeter 38 which acquires image data for color reproduction in accordance with a type of the printer . here , provided the calorimeter 38 is present , the scanner 42 is not necessary for the present invention . at the image forming device 10 , as shown in fig2 , an image forming device connected to a network 16 may be controlled by client terminals 18 . fig3 is a schematic view of a settings screen on a pc , which specifies characteristic data of a recording paper , at the display section 12 l of the print server 12 of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . a paper type settings screen 20 of the display section 12 l is structured with a list image 20 a at which one surface - processing condition is selected from four types , an image 20 b at which a basis weight is inputted to serve as a thickness , and a selection image 20 c at which a ground color is pinpointed on a color density pattern . herein , the image forming device 10 implements printing output by the printer 14 in accordance with a printing job . image data created by a pc or the like is image data in an rgb color space ( rgb signals ), but the printer 14 handles image data in a cmyk color space ( cmyk signals ). accordingly , using a profile , the rgb signals are converted to data in a device - independent color space , for example , the l * a * b * color space , and then converted to cmyk signals in a color space dependent on the output side device , and printed . with printing using a profile , printed results are close to printing targets , which are reproduction objectives of colors that are printed . however , recording papers that are printed on may not be able to reproduce desired colors using the same profile , due to factors such as surface - processing conditions , thicknesses , ground colors and so forth . hitherto , from the experience of an expert , characteristics of a recording paper to be used have been judged and a profile of which color reproduction characteristics are favorable has been extracted depending on printing targets . however , in cases in which experience is insufficient or the like , extracting a favorable profile has been difficult . accordingly , in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention , in order to create a profile , generation information is obtained by printing a cmyk patch pattern and performing colorimetry , and the generation information and characteristic data , such as a surface - processing condition , a thickness , a ground color and the like which are factors affecting color reproduction on the recording paper , are associated with a profile and saved . below , details of generation and extraction of a profile of the present invention will be described . fig4 is a functional block diagram for implementing generation and extraction of a profile in the image forming device 10 of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . a control section 30 is connected to a profile generation section 32 , a profile extraction section 34 , a generation information acquisition section 48 and a characteristic data input section 50 . when an operator instruction is a profile creation instruction , the control section 30 sends the profile creation instruction and printing target data to the profile generation section 32 . when an operator instruction is a printing instruction with employment of a profile , the control section 30 sends printing target data and printing data to the profile extraction section 34 . the control section 30 also sends profile creation instructions and profile - employing printing instructions to the generation information acquisition section 48 and to the characteristic data input section 50 . the profile generation section 32 is connected to a printing section 36 and a memory section 52 . the profile generation section 32 sends patch pattern data to the printing section 36 in accordance with a profile creation instruction from the control section 30 , so as to print a patch pattern which is a cmyk patch set . the printing section 36 is connected to the calorimeter 38 . the printing section 36 prints a patch pattern on the basis of the patch pattern data and sends printing results to the calorimeter 38 . the calorimeter 38 is connected to a colorimetry data analysis section 40 . the calorimeter 38 performs colorimetry of the patch pattern which has been printed by the printing section 36 , and sends colorimetry data , which is results of the colorimetry , to the colorimetry data analysis section 40 . the colorimetry data analysis section 40 is connected to a reference data generation section 46 . the colorimetry data analysis section 40 analyses the colorimetry data sent from the colorimeter 38 , and sends analysis results data to the reference data generation section 46 . here , provided the image forming device 10 is equipped with the colorimeter 38 , colorimetry of a patch pattern printed by the printing section 36 can be performed using the calorimeter 38 . however , if the image forming device 10 is not equipped with the calorimeter 38 , a patch pattern can be acquired using the scanner 42 . the scanner 42 is connected with an acquired data analysis section 44 . the scanner 42 acquires a patch pattern printed by the printing section 36 , and sends data that is acquired to the scanner 42 . the acquired data analysis section 44 is connected to the reference data generation section 46 . the acquired data analysis section 44 analyses acquired data sent from the scanner 42 , and sends analysis results data to the reference data generation section 46 . the reference data generation section 46 is connected to the generation information acquisition section 48 , the profile generation section 32 and the memory section 52 . the reference data generation section 46 generates reference data on the basis of analysis results data sent from the colorimetry data analysis section 40 , and sends the reference data to the generation information acquisition section 48 and the profile generation section 32 . the reference data generation section 46 also sends characteristic data such as ground color data and the like of the recording paper , which is included in the analysis results sent from the colorimetry data analysis section 40 , to the memory section 52 . the generation information acquisition section 48 is connected to the profile generation section 32 , the profile extraction section 34 and the memory section 52 . on the basis of the reference data sent from the reference data generation section 46 , the reference data generation section 46 obtains generation information such as : colorimetry data for primary color solid density data , of c , m , y and k , in the patch pattern ; colorimetry data for secondary color solid density data , of r , g , b and suchlike which are obtained by combining c , m and y ; colorimetry data for intermediate density data ; colorimetry data for density data of process grays ; ground color data of the recording paper ; and the like . the generation information acquisition section 48 also obtains generation information of colorimetry data for density data which is obtained by combining c , m , y and k for particular color ranges , such as skin tones , skies , corporate colors or the like , in consideration of the priorities of a user . when a profile creation instruction is sent from the control section 30 , the generation information acquisition section 48 sends the obtained generation information to the profile generation section 32 and the memory section 52 , and when a profile - employing printing instruction is sent from the control section 30 , the generation information acquisition section 48 sends the obtained generation information to the profile extraction section 34 in order to specify a profile . the profile generation section 32 then generates a profile on the basis of the printing target data sent from the control section 30 , the reference data sent from the reference data generation section 46 and the generation information data sent from the generation information acquisition section 48 . the profile generation section 32 sends the profile that has been generated to the memory section 52 . the characteristic data input section 50 is connected to the profile extraction section 34 and the memory section 52 . the characteristic data input section 50 sends recording paper characteristic data , which is inputted by an operator , to the memory section 52 when a profile creation instruction has been sent from the control section 30 , and sends the same to the profile extraction section 34 when a profile - employing printing instruction has been sent from the control section 30 . the memory section 52 stores profiles sent from the profile generation section 32 . the memory section 52 also stores characteristic data sent from the reference data generation section 46 , generation information obtained by the generation information acquisition section 48 and characteristic data inputted at the characteristic data input section 50 , in association with the profiles . the profile extraction section 34 is connected to the printing section 36 and the memory section 52 . on the basis of generation information sent from the generation information acquisition section 48 and characteristic data of a recording paper inputted from the characteristic data input section 50 , the profile extraction section 34 matches up and extracts a profile stored at the memory section 52 . the profile extraction section 34 sends the information of this profile and printing data , which is sent from the control section 30 , to the printing section 36 . the printing section 36 prints the printing data , employing the profile . below , operation of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described . printing data which is sent , for example , directly from the print server 12 provided at the image forming device 10 or from the client terminals 18 is subjected to image processing by the print server 12 . the printing data is sent to the printer 14 , and printing is implemented . here , printing using a profile for color reproduction is possible . first , for extracting profiles in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention , generation of a profile will be described . fig5 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing of generation of a profile . in step 100 , the printing section 36 prints a patch pattern , which is a cmyk patch set , and the process advances to step 102 . in step 102 , colorimetry of the patch pattern printed by the printing section 36 is performed by the colorimeter 38 . if the calorimeter 38 is not present , the patch pattern is acquired by the scanner 42 . when colorimetry has been performed , the process advances to step 104 . in step 104 , the colorimetry data from step 102 is analyzed by the colorimetry data analysis section 40 or the acquired data analysis section 44 . the reference data generation section 46 generates reference data , and the process advances to step 106 . in step 106 , the profile generation section 32 generates a profile on the basis of the printing target data and the reference data that has been generated by the reference data generation section 46 , and the process advances to step 108 . in step 108 , the generation information acquisition section 48 extracts generation information included in the reference data , and the process advances to step 110 . in step 110 , it is judged whether or not characteristic data of the recording paper is to be inputted by an operator . if the judgement is negative , that characteristic data of the recording paper is not to be inputted , the process advances to step 111 . if the judgement is positive , that characteristic data is to be inputted , the process advances to step 112 . in step 111 , the profile and the generation information are associated and stored at the memory section 52 , and this routine ends . in step 112 , characteristic data of the recording paper is inputted by an operator , and the process advances to step 114 . in step 114 , the profile , the generated information and the characteristic data are associated and stored at the memory section 52 , and this routine ends . fig6 a and fig6 b are a flowchart showing a flow for extracting a profile . in step 200 , it is judged whether or not a new recording paper is to be used . if the judgement is negative , that new recording paper is not to be used , the process advances to step 202 . in step 202 , an existing profile is selected , and the process advances to step 242 . if the judgement in step 200 is positive , that there is a new recording paper being used , the process advances to step 204 . in step 204 , it is judged whether or not generation information is to be inputted . if the judgement is negative , that generation information will not be inputted , the process advances to step 206 , and if the judgement is positive , that generation information will be inputted , the process advances to step 220 . in step 206 , a patch pattern , which is a cmyk patch set , is printed by the printing section 36 , and the process advances to step 208 . in step 208 , it is judged whether or not the calorimeter 38 is present . if the judgement is positive , that the calorimeter 38 is present , the process advances to step 210 . in step 210 , colorimetry of the printed patch pattern is performed by the calorimeter 38 , and the process advances to step 212 . in step 212 , colorimetry data which has been measured by the calorimeter 38 is analyzed by the colorimetry data analysis section 40 . the generation information acquisition section 48 obtains generation information of the new recording paper , and the process advances to step 220 . if the judgement in step 208 is negative , that there is no calorimeter 38 , the process advances to step 214 . in step 214 , a notification prompting acquisition of the patch pattern using the scanner 42 is implemented , and the process advances to step 216 . in step 216 , the printed patch pattern is acquired by the scanner 42 , and the process advances to step 218 . in step 218 , the patch pattern that the scanner 42 has acquired is analyzed by the acquired data analysis section 44 . the generation information acquisition section 48 obtains generation information for the new recording paper , and the process advances to step 220 . in step 220 , an operator inputs characteristic data of the recording paper from the characteristic data input section 50 , and the process advances to step 222 . in step 222 , it is judged whether or not input of data relating to generation information and characteristic data has finished . if the judgement is negative , that the input has not finished , the process advances to step 204 and , again , input of generation information of the new recording paper is implemented . if the judgement in step 222 is positive , that data input relating to the new recording paper has finished , the process advances to step 224 . in step 224 , the generation information of the new recording paper is compared with generation information included in existing profiles , and the process advances to step 226 . in step 226 , it is judged whether or not predetermined matching conditions are met . for these predetermined matching conditions , usually , degrees of matching are judged in sequence for : colorimetry data for primary color solid density data of c , m , y and k ; colorimetry data for secondary color solid density data of r , g , b and the like , which are provided by combining c , m and y ; colorimetry data for process gray density data ; recording paper ground color data ; and particular colors considered important by a client . an order of priority of these matching conditions can be altered in accordance with matters that are considered important by a client . if the judgement in step 226 is negative , that the predetermined matching conditions are not met , the process advances to step 228 . in step 228 , a message that there is no profile matching the new recording paper is displayed , and the process advances to step 230 . in step 230 , it is judged whether or not an existing profile is to be selected manually . if this is positive , that an existing profile is to be selected manually , the process advances to step 232 . in step 232 , an existing profile is selected , and the process advances to step 242 . if the judgement in step 230 is negative , that an existing profile is not to be selected manually , the process advances to step 234 . in step 234 , it is judged whether or not a new profile for the new recording paper is to be generated . if the judgement is negative , that a new profile is not to be generated , this routine ends . if the judgement is positive , that a new profile is to be generated , the process advances to step 236 . in step 236 , processing for generating a new profile is implemented , and this routine ends . if the judgement in step 226 is positive , that there is a profile for which the predetermined matching conditions are met , the process advances to step 238 . in step 238 , candidate profiles are displayed in order of higher degrees of matching , including complete matching , and the process advances to step 240 . in step 240 , the operator selects a profile , and the process advances to step 242 . in step 242 , printing processing is implemented using a profile included in the selected profile , and this routine ends . as has been described hereabove , a profile is generated and stored on the basis of printing target data representing a reproduction objective to be printed , and reference data obtained by printing and performing colorimetry on a patch pattern of a patch set based on arbitrary combinations of c , m , y and k . here , generation information included in the reference data obtained by colorimetry of the patch pattern , and characteristic data of the recording paper , such as a surface - processing condition , a thickness , a ground color and the like , are associated with the profile and stored . hence , for a new recording paper for which there is no profile , it is possible to extract a profile that approximates thereto , including complete matching , from pre - existing profiles on the basis of generation information and recording paper characteristic data thereof . furthermore , because an order of priority for extracting approximating profiles can be altered , closer approximating profiles can be extracted . herein , the generation information and recording paper characteristic data are stored in association with a profile , but this is not a limitation . for example , it is possible to store such data in a log file or the like in association with a profile . furthermore , a settings screen for specifying recording paper characteristic data is shown in fig3 , but this is not a limitation . settings other than the items shown in fig3 may be added as appropriate . moreover , a screen or the like which performs detailed settings for the generation information may be provided . | 7 |
referring first to fig1 a through 1e which illustrates successive stages in the initial folding and sealing of the carton , the carton comprises enclosing body walls 1 , 2 , 3 and 4 hingedly connected in the order named to provide a tubular body . normally , body wall 1 is the front wall , body wall 3 the rear wall , and body walls 2 and 4 the opposite end walls . end walls 2 and 4 are scored or cut - scored at their upper ends to provide medially disposed vertical lines of fold 5 which terminate in angularly disposed lines of fold 6 and 7 extending diagonally downwardly to the opposite side edges of the end walls , the lowermost extremeties of the diagonal lines of fold being interconnected by horizontally disposed lines of fold 8 , the liner of fold collectively defining bellows - like gussets 9 , 10 and 11 . the length of the gussets may vary relative to the length of the opposing end walls , although preferably they will lie within the upper half of the carton body walls so that a major portion of the carton will be rectangular in cross - section when erected . an end closure flap 12 is hingedly connected to the uppermost edge of rear wall 3 , the closure flap , as possibly best seen in fig1 d , having a foldable extension 13 with a centrally disposed tongue 14 . body wall 1 is provided with a tongue receiving slot 15 . the carton is lined with a tubular liner 16 the mouth of which projects upwardly beyond the body walls . the carton will be filled with contents when in the condition illustrated in fig1 a , whereupon the bellows - like gussets 9 , 10 and 11 will be deflected inwardly in the manner illustrated in fig1 b , the inward deflection of the gussets causing the front and rear walls 1 and 3 to be displaced inwardly until their upper edges coincide . this movement also causes the opposite ends of the mouth of the liner 16 to be folded inwardly and the opposite sides flattened . after flattening , the liner mouth is folded upon itself , preferably in the direction of end closure flap 12 , thereby bringing the liner mouth to the condition shown in fig1 c , the folded liner mouth defining an inner portion 16a and a reversely folded outer portion 16b . when in the folded condition , the double thickness liner mouth will be pressed together so as to crease the liner , whereupon end closure flap 12 will be infolded , the infolding of the end closure flap acting to fold the liner mouth over the uppermost edge of body wall 1 along the base edge of inner portion 16a . spots of adhesive 17 will be applied to the body wall 1 in positions to be contacted by the extension 13 of the closure flap when infolded , thereby adhering the closure flap to body wall 1 with the folded liner mouth sandwiched therebetween , the carton assuming the condition illustrated in fig1 e . the length of the liner mouth will be chosen so that when folded to double thickness , its width will be no greater than the width of closure flap 12 , the extension 13 thus extending beyond the folded liner mouth for direct contact with the underlying portion of body wall 1 . in the hands of the user , the carton may be opened by lifting the extension 13 to break the seal between the spots of adhesive 17 and the underlying body wall 1 , whereupon the carton may be reopened to the condition illustrated in fig1 a . the user may then pour the required quantity of liquid into the carton and the carton reclosed . reclosure is accomplished by deflecting the bellows - like gussets 9 , 10 and 11 inwardly and pressing together the uppermost edges of the front and rear body walls 1 and 3 , followed by the downward folding of the liner mouth in the manner illustrated in fig2 . the outermost portion 16b of the liner mouth is then reversely folded in the manner illustrated in fig3 thereby again forming a folded double thickness liner mouth , whereupon the closure flap 12 is infolded and the tongue 14 engaged in slot 15 , as seen in fig4 thereby entrapping the reversely folded , double thickness liner mouth between the closure flap 12 and underlying body wall 1 . this orientation of the liner mouth has been found to provide a liquid tight seal even when the carton is repeatedly shaken to admix its contents . it also may be observed that during initial closing of the carton , the liner need not be heat sealed or otherwise adhered together , the folding and reverse folding of the liner being sufficient to effectively protect the contents . of course , if desired , the mouth of the liner may be initially sealed , preferably along its outermost edge , although care should be taken to be certain the seal may be readily broken or , if it is severed , that sufficient liner material remains to permit the liner mouth to be folded upon itself . after the contents have been thoroughly shaken , the carton is again reopened and the contents dispensed . to this end , one of the sets of bellows - like gussets may be deflected outwardly , along with the continuous area of the liner , thereby forming a pouring spout by means of which the admixed contents may be dispensed . reference is next made to fig5 which illustrates apparatus utilized to form the end closure just described . the basic apparatus is of the type disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 063 , 403 , and comprises a main frame 18 mounting bearings 19 and 20 adjacent its opposite ends in which vertically disposed shafts 21 and 22 are rotatably journaled , the shafts mounting horizontally disposed sprockets 23 and 24 about which an endless conveyor chain 25 moves in a horizontal path of travel . driving power is supplied to the sprocket 22 through shaft 26 and gears 27 , the shaft 26 being connected by a driven sprocket 28 operatively connected to a source of power , which is not shown . the conveyor chain 25 engages a series of spaced apart carriages 29 which are guided about the path of travel of the conveyor chain by channel - shaped guide members 30 . each of the carriages 29 is adapted to receive and convey a carton 31 of the construction previously described the cartons being presented to the carriages at one end of the apparatus at a delivery station s , indicated in fig5 and 6 . each of the carriages is provided with pairs of locking arms 33 which engage the body walls of the cartons and secure them to the carriages . the cartons will be positioned on the carriages with their front walls facing outwardly , so that the end wall 2 will be the leading body wall in the direction of travel of each carton and the end wall 4 will be the trailing body wall . as each carton 31 is advanced by its carriage with the carton in the condition illustrated in fig1 a , the medially disposed lines of fold 5 at the upper ends of the end walls 2 and 4 , together with the adjacent upstanding end portions of the liner mouth , are contacted by a folding device , indicated generally at 34 , the folding device having a pair of folding fingers 35 and 36 which act to deflect the end walls inwardly along the lines of fold 5 , thereby causing the bellows - like gussets 9 , 10 and 11 to be deflected inwardly together with the opposite end edges of the liner mouth , which are also contacted by the folding fingers . a series of the folding devices 34 , only one of which is shown in fig5 is secured to a conveyor chain 37 which passes around sprockets 38 and 39 rotatably journaled on a vertical support 40 projecting upwardly from the main frame 18 by means of shafts 41 and 42 , the shaft 42 being driven through gear means 43 connected to a drive shaft 44 having gear means 45 connecting it to previously described drive shaft 26 . the folding devices are of the type taught in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 063 , 403 , the pairs of folding fingers being arranged to move from opened to closed position and return by linkage members controlled by a continuous cam track 46 adapted to receive cam followers operatively connected to the linkage members . as will be evident from fig5 the folding fingers will lie in the opened position as they approach an underlying carton , whereupon the fingers will be moved to the closed position , such movement causing inward deflection of the bellows - like gussets and the opposite ends of the liner mouth . at the same time the front and rear walls 1 and 3 of the carton will move toward each other , such movement being assisted by means of an opposing pair of guide plates 47 and 48 , best seen in fig6 which are positioned to engage the front and rear walls 1 and 3 , respectively , adjacent their uppermost edges , thereby insuring that the uppermost edges of these walls will be juxtaposed with the flattened liner mouth projecting upwardly from between the front and rear body walls . as this folding operation takes place , the closure flap 12 will be folded outwardly , as by means of a sweep 49 seen in fig6 . a vertically disposed fin 50 overlies guide plate 48 and coacts with a vertically disposed fin 51 overlying guide plate 47 , the opposing fins lying in closely spaced apart relation so as to maintain the liner mouth in flattened condition as it advances between the fins . fin 50 is spaced upwardly from guide plate 48 , the guide plate acting to maintain the closure flap 12 in the outfolded condition . fin 51 terminates immediately adjacent an inverted channel - shaped sweep 52 which engages and folds the liner mouth to the condition illustrated in fig1 c . the channel - shaped sweep folds the liner mouth over the uppermost edge of fin 50 , the dimensions of the liner mouth being such that it will be doubled upon itself to form the inner portion 16a and the reversely folded outer portion 16b . the configuration of sweep 52 and its relation to fin 50 and guide plates 47 , 48 is shown in fig7 . a pair of pressing wheels 53 and 54 lie immediately beyond the channel - shaped sweep 52 , the pressing wheels acting to crease and flatten the folded over liner mouth . upon passage beyond the pressing wheels , the liner mouth is engaged by an inverted channel - shape member 55 similar to member 52 which serves to maintain the liner mouth in its folded condition preparatory to the infolding of the end closure flap 12 , which is retained in its outfolded position overlying guide plate 48 by means of the inverted channel - shaped member 55 . a sweep 56 is positioned immediately beyond the trailing end of channel - shaped member 55 , the sweep 56 being positioned to engage and infold the end closure flap 12 immediately upon passage of the folded liner mouth beyond the channel - shaped member 55 , the infolding of the end closure flap also serving to enforce the infolding of the liner mouth along the base edge of inner portion 16a . a second sweep 57 is also located immediately beyond channel - shaped member 55 on its opposite side , the second sweep being positioned to contact and support the liner mouth as its infolding is initiated by the infolding of the end closure flap . the sweeps 56 and 57 coact to bring the closure flap and the liner mouth to an essentially horizontal position with the folded liner mouth resting upon the upper surface of guide plate 47 . in this connection , the guide plates 47 and 48 are continuous and extend in a curved path around the end of the machine . the closure flap and liner mouth are maintained in the partially infolded condition , i . e ., in an essentially horizontal position , as they are advanced along the curved end of the guide plate 47 , by means of a rotating disc 58 mounted on an upward extension 21a of shaft 21 , the rotating disc being driven in timed relation to the movement of the carriages 29 and the cartons being conveyed . the rotating disc 58 maintains the end closure flap and liner mouth in the partially infolded condition as the carton travels around the curved end of the machine until the carton reaches the straight line flight on the opposite side of the machine where the partially infolded closure flap is engaged by an overlying sweep 59 as it is released by the disc . an adhesive applicator 60 is mounted adjacent the path of travel of the carton front wall and is positioned to apply the spots of adhesive 17 ( seen in fig1 d ) to the upper portion of the front wall 1 , whereupon the sweep curves , as indicated at 59 , to complete the infolding of the closure flap , thereby juxtaposing the extension 13 to the spots of adhesive on the upper portion of underlying body wall 1 , the sweep continuing for a distance sufficient to insure that the flap extension will be adhered to the underlying carton body wall . the closing and sealing of the carton is now completed and the carton is in the condition illustrated in fig1 e . thereafter the carriages which convey the cartons are opened and the cartons ejected from the machine at a discharge station , diagrammatically indicated at d , where the cartons are discharged from the apparatus . the empty carriages then return to the delivery station s to receive additional cartons to be closed and sealed . | 1 |
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